Ranchi, Nov 28 (PTI) JMM leader Hemant Soren was sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony here on Thursday in the presence of top leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi of the Congress and Mamata Banerjee of the TMC.
Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 49-year-old tribal who reaffirmed his commitment to working for the welfare of all sections, particularly the poor, deprived, and exploited.
“This Jharkhand government will work day and night for all sections of people of Jharkhand including the poor, deprived and exploited… Abua (our) government,” Soren said shortly after taking oath.
In a post on X, he said, “Today’s historic occasion is dedicated to the struggle of the immortal brave martyrs, great revolutionaries of Jharkhand… Today’s emotional moment is dedicated to crores of people of Jharkhand.” Before taking the oath, Soren, dressed in a white kurta, pyjama, and ‘Nehru jacket,’ sought blessings from JMM supremo and his father, Shibu Soren, his mother Rupi Soren, along with his wife Kalpana Soren and two sons.
After the ceremony, he paid floral tributes to tribal icons such as Birsa Munda and Sido-Kanho and rushed to Project Building where he began his fourth innings as CM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him.
“Congratulations to Shri Hemant Soren on taking oath as Jharkhand CM. Best wishes to him for his tenure ahead,” PM Modi posted on X.
A host of INDIA bloc leaders from across the country, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and his wife Sunita, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(ML)L general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivkumar, Telangana Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Tamil Nadu Minister U Stalin also attended the event.
Later, Soren announced enhancing the financial assistance to women in the 18-50 age bracket under Maiyan Samman Yojna to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,000 per month, which was one of the major poll planks of JMM.
Soren’s victory in the state elections marked a significant political milestone. His alliance secured 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, while the BJP-led NDA won 24 seats.
Soren himself retained his Barhait seat with a 39,791-vote margin. The victory marks the JMM’s highest-ever tally in the state legislature.
Hours before taking the oath, Soren took to X, asserting that unity is the greatest strength of the people of Jharkhand, who “can neither be divided nor silenced.” In a veiled attack on the BJP-led central government, Soren emphasised that whenever attempts are made to silence the people, their revolution only grows louder.
“Let there be no doubt about it — our unity is our biggest weapon. We can neither be divided nor silenced. Whenever they push us back, we move forward. Whenever they try to silence us, our voice of rebellion and revolution grows louder because we are Jharkhandis, and Jharkhandis do not bow down,” Soren wrote on X in Hindi.
He said, “Our fight is firm and unceasing. The struggle continues and will continue till the last breath.” The “historic day” would further strengthen the collective struggle of Jharkhand, as well as the spirit of love, brotherhood, and the commitment to justice, he said.
With deep divisions emerging in the social fabric, Soren stressed the need for unity, calling it essential in these challenging times.
Tribal troupes in traditional attire performed dances to the rhythm of ‘dhol and nagara’ at the venue, adding to the festive atmosphere. Schools in the state capital remained closed for the occasion.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said eight crucial decisions were taken at the “cabinet meeting” though no minister took oath during the day.
The key decisions include formation of a panel to study the plight of the “marginalised” tea tribes in Assam.
The decision to form the panel came against the backdrop of the poll battle between the JMM-led coalition and NDA, in which Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma repeatedly raised the issue of the “predicament” of Jharkhand’s tribal community due to alleged large-scale infiltration from Bangladesh.
Another crucial decision pertained to initiating legal action to realise Rs 1.36 lakh crore from the Centre in lieu of the state’s coal dues. This came barely 25 days after Soren “with folded hands” had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to clear dues which were obstructing the state’s development.
Soren’s first official meeting after his re-election was with PM Modi in Delhi on Tuesday, where they discussed state matters.
Also, the first meeting of the Hemant Soren Cabinet decided to convene an assembly session from December 9 to 12.
Senior JMM MLA Stephen Marandi, who was named as pro-tem speaker, will conduct the proceedings till a regular Speaker is elected.
The formation of the new cabinet is pending, with Congress likely to get four ministerial berths and the RJD one, while the CPI(ML)L may also get one. PTI NAM BDC MNB NN
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