Hemant Soren took oath as 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony in Ranchi on Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by a host of prominent political leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Soren.
This marks the 49-year-old JMM leader’s fourth term as Chief Minister. Soren retained his Barhait seat in the recent assembly elections, defeating BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes. The JMM-led alliance won a resounding victory, securing 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, while the BJP-led NDA secured 24 seats.
Schools in Ranchi city were shut on Thursday in view of the swearing in of the Hemant Soren government.
Grand ceremony
The ceremony was attended by several key opposition leaders, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and other key leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Mehbooba Mufti, and Tejashwi Yadav.
Security was heightened across the city, with traffic regulations and school closures in Ranchi to accommodate the event. Posters marking the occasion were seen throughout the city, and Hemant Soren, along with senior officials, visited the Morabadi ground the previous evening to review the arrangements.
While Soren took oath alone for now, the expansion of his cabinet will take place after a vote of confidence in the assembly, as confirmed by Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir.
“It’s heartening to have such esteemed leaders join us for this important occasion,” said Soren, reflecting on the significance of the event.