Ranchi: JMM working president Hemant Soren was on Sunday sworn in as the 11th chief minister of Jharkhand at Morhabadi Ground at Ranchi. In a show of opposition strength, many Congress and non-NDA leaders were present at the event.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, her Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel were also present as governor Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at Ranchi’s Morabadi Ground. Senior political leaders including CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, DMK’s M.K. Stalin, Sharad Yadav, CPI’s D. Raja also attended the ceremony.
I attended the swearing in ceremony of CM Hemant Soren Ji & ministers from the Congress party in Ranchi today. I'm confident that the new Govt in Jharkhand will work for the benefit of all citizens & usher in an era of peace & prosperity in the state. pic.twitter.com/nIg1svJ0uL
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 29, 2019
In his first cabinet meet, Soren decided that all cases filed against Adivasis during the Pathalgadi agitations against the controversial Chhotangapur Tenancy Act and Santhal Parganas Act will be taken back. Although the controversial laws were taken back by the former Raghubar Das-led BJP government amidst huge protests, this decision will come as a huge relief for all those who were caught in a legal quagmire because of the cases filed during the agitations.
“The cabinet also directed to create necessary posts for judicial officers for fast track courts in every district dealing with cases pertaining to women and children, besides paying all dues to Anganwadi workers and para-teachers. JMM leader Stephen Marandi is selected as the speaker of the upcoming assembly,” The Indian Express reported.
One such case was of sedition in which more than 10000 people in Khunti district were named for participating in protests.
The 44-year-old JMM leader took charge of the state for the second time.
Along with Soren, Congress Legislature Party Leader Alamgir Alam, state Congress president Rameshwar Oraon and RJD MLA Satyanand Bhokta were also sworn in as state cabinet ministers at Sunday’s event.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former President Pranab Mukherjee and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Twitter to congratulate Soren.
My best wishes to @HemantSorenJMM the new Chief Minister of Jharkhand. I am confident that the state will grow and progress under his dynamic leadership. I regret I might not be able to attend the swearing in ceremony due to my political engagements in Maharashtra.
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) December 29, 2019
Ashok Gehlot, Rahul Gandhi, Hemant Soren and Shibu Soren. Photo: Facebook/Rahul Gandhi
Also read: Regional Issues Triumph Communal Fervour as BJP Learns Yet Another Lesson in Jharkhand
In the just-conducted assembly elections, the JMM- Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alliance triumphed over the BJP, winning 47 seats in the 81-member House.
Four other MLAs – three from the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and one from the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) have also extended their support to the three-party coalition.
(With PTI inputs)