Soren Set To Take Oath Jharkhand's 14th CM, Top INDI Leaders To Attend Ceremony

Ranchi: Hemant Soren is set to take oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony at Morabadi Ground on Thursday, with several prominent political leaders and dignitaries, including key members of the INDI bloc, expected to be in attendance.

Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Soren at 4 pm.

This will be the 49-year-old JMM leader's fourth stint as chief minister. Soren retained the Barhait seat by defeating BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes in the recently held Assembly polls. Soren’s JMM-led alliance stormed to victory, securing 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, while the BJP-led NDA managed 24 seats.

"I’m grateful to the people of Jharkhand for their continued trust in our leadership," Soren said, adding, "This victory reflects the aspirations of the people, and we will work towards fulfilling them. This is a victory of the people and their vision for a peaceful and progressive Jharkhand," Soren said in his victory speech.

Soren appealed to the masses to attend his oath ceremony and also shared a YouTube link where the event would be live streamed. Posters have been put up across the city and special security arrangements have been made with special traffic arrangements.

Congress general secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir said Soren is likely to take oath alone and expansion of the Cabinet will be held after a vote of confidence in the assembly.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are likely to attend the event, a JMM leader said.

Other notable leaders expected to attend are CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, Udhayanidhi Stalin from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Deputy CM D K Sivakumar, and Bihar’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

"It’s heartening to have such esteemed leaders join us for this important occasion," said Soren, who along with senior officials paid a visit to Morabadi ground on Wednesday evening to take stock of the preparations for the swearing-in ceremony. On Tuesday, Soren met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first visit to the national capital after leading his alliance to an unprecedented second consecutive term.

"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. He was accompanied by his wife, Kalpana, who was also elected as an MLA in the recent elections. 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," he added. 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 INDI bloc. According to the power-sharing arrangement, the RJD is expected to receive one ministerial berth.

"We are committed to working together with our alliance partners to ensure a stable and prosperous future for the state," Soren remarked. On Sunday, Soren 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 INDI bloc in the state.

"The people of Jharkhand have given us their mandate, and we are ready to serve them with dedication and resolve," Soren said. He will officiate as the acting Chief Minister until the formal oath-taking ceremony.