Ranchi, Nov 28 (IANS) Hemant Soren, on Thursday, took oath as the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administered him the oath of office and secrecy at 4:10 p.m. during a grand ceremony at Morabadi Ground in Ranchi.

Hemant Soren, leader of the JMM-Congress-RJD-CPI-ML alliance, has made history by becoming the first politician to serve as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister for the fourth time. The alliance secured a resounding two-thirds majority, winning 56 out of 81 seats in the elections held on November 13 and November 20.

Prominent leaders from the INDIA bloc graced the occasion. Among them present were Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AAP convener and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav.

The ceremony also saw the attendance of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, AAP MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha.

Hemant Soren’s father and JMM President Shibu Soren, his mother Roopi Soren, and his wife Kalpana Soren were also present on stage, along with other family members.

So far, Jharkhand has seen seven individuals assume the Chief Minister's post, including Babulal Marandi, Arjun Munda, Shibu Soren, Madhu Koda, Raghubar Das, and Champai Soren.

The swearing-in ceremony was preceded by vibrant cultural performances which showcased folk artists from across Jharkhand.

After taking oath, Hemant Soren headed to Jharkhand Mantralaya at Project Bhawan for the first cabinet meeting where he will present a government job appointment letter and a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to the martyred Agniveer's family at a government event.

Deputy Secretary Om Prakash Tiwari has issued an official letter confirming this move. The beneficiary, Arjun Kumar Mahato, a resident of Fatehpur village in Bokaro district, was serving as an Agniveer in the Indian Army when he was martyred during an encounter in Silchar, Assam, on November 22. The 2023 recruit leaves behind his father, Lankeshwar Mahato, and a grieving family.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS