Ranchi: Hemant Soren, leader of the INDIA Bloc in Jharkhand, on Sunday staked claim to form the next government in the state after being re-elected as the leader of the coalition.
Following a meeting of the newly elected MLAs here, Soren visited Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Santosh Gangwar, where he tendered his resignation as Chief Minister and submitted a list of 56 elected MLAs from the alliance to prove his majority.
The Governor accepted Soren’s resignation and appointed him as the caretaker Chief Minister until the new government was formed.
Soren is expected to take oath as Chief Minister on November 28 at Morabadi Ground, Ranchi.
Earlier in the day, a meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s residence on Kanke Road, attended by MLAs and leaders from the four alliance partners — the JMM, the Congress, the RJD, and the CPI-ML-L.
Discussions focused on the framework of the new government, the swearing-in ceremony, and guest invitations.
Addressing the gathering, Soren congratulated the newly elected MLAs, attributing the alliance’s victory to the people of Jharkhand and the efforts of party workers.
Hemant Soren is going to become the first leader in Jharkhand to take oath as Chief Minister for the fourth time. His first stint as CM in a Congress-RJD-supported government started when he took oath as Chief Minister on July 13, 2013, lasting until December 23, 2014.
His next stint started when he took oath as CM on December 29, 2019, following a decisive victory in the 2019 state elections.
His third term began after he came out of jail on July 4, 2024. He resigned after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31, 2024.
Before Soren, only his father, Shibu Soren, and BJP’s Arjun Munda had served as Chief Minister three times each.
The India bloc secured a decisive victory in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, winning 56 seats — the JMM with 34, the Congress with 16, the RJD with four, and the CPI-ML-L with two.
This marks the first time in Jharkhand’s history that a government will be formed with a two-thirds majority.
(IANS)
