Newly-elected Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony at Morabadi Ground in Ranchi on Thursday.
At the swearing-in ceremony of Hemant Soren as Jharkhand chief minister, the oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at around 4 pm on Thursday. Several prominent political leaders and dignitaries, including key members of the INDIA bloc, attended the ceremony.
Newly-elected Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony at Morabadi Ground in Ranchi on Thursday.
The oath of office and secrecy to Soren was administered by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at around 4 pm.
For 49-year-old Soren, this is the fourth stint as chief minister. In the recently held 2024 assembly elections, Soren retained the Barhait seat by defeating BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes.
Earlier, Jharkhand in-charge and Congress general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that Soren was likely to take oath alone, and expansion of the cabinet will be held after a vote of confidence in the assembly.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several prominent political leaders and dignitaries, including key members of the INDIA bloc.
"It’s heartening to have such esteemed leaders join us for this important occasion", said Soren on Wednesday while visiting the Morabadi ground to take stock of the preparations for the ceremony.
The list of attendees included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Other political bigwigs including Akhilesh Yadav, DK Shivakumar, Pappu Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, and Dipankar Bhattacharya were present as well.
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Accompanied by his wife Kalpana, who was also elected as an MLA in the recent elections, Soren on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first visit to the national capital after his poll victory.
"I had a constructive meeting with the Prime Minister, where we discussed Jharkhand’s growth and development. His support is valuable as we move forward with our plans," Soren said.
Soren also met Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, as well as AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, inviting them to the swearing-in ceremony. "We are united in our goal to work for the betterment of Jharkhand and its people. We are committed to working together with our alliance partners to ensure a stable and prosperous future for the state", he added.
On Sunday, Soren also met Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar to stake his claim to form the government, shortly after being unanimously elected as the legislature party leader by the INDIA bloc in the state.
In the recent Assembly elections, Soren’s JMM-led alliance stormed to victory, securing 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, while the BJP-led NDA managed 24 seats.
The JMM achieved its highest-ever tally in the elections, winning 34 of the 43 seats it contested. Congress secured 16, RJD 4, and CPI(ML) bagged 2 seats in the INDIA bloc. According to the power-sharing arrangement, the RJD is expected to receive one ministerial berth.
In his victory speech, Soren said, "I’m grateful to the people of Jharkhand for their continued trust in our leadership", while adding, "This victory reflects the aspirations of the people, and we will work towards fulfilling them."