Hemant Soren Takes Oath As Jharkhand CM, Day After Champai Soren Quit

Hemant Soren took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Thursday. Governor CP Radhakrishnan administered him the oath to office. The swearing-in ceremony took place hours after Soren was invited by Governor CP Radhakrishnan to form the government in the state.

“The current Mahagathbandhan government has done all the action plans in accordance with the sentiments of the people since 2019. Champai Soren took it forward amidst political ups and downs because I was in jail. Today I have been able to come out due to the court order. Now further work will be done while taking charge of my responsibilities again,” Hemant Soren said after taking oath as Jharkhand Chief Minister.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Soren visited Raj Bhawan along with state Congress president Rajesh Thakur and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta a day after Champai Soren stepped down from the chief minister’s post.

Hemant Soren took oath as the 13th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000.

Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren resigned on Wednesday and Hemant Soren, who is out on bail in a money laundering case, staked a claim to form the government, hours after leaders of the JMM-led alliance in the state unanimously elected him as the legislature party leader.

Champai Soren, who had taken oath as the 12th chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2 after Hemant Soren’s arrest, met Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan and tendered his resignation in the presence of the JMM executive president, capping a day-long drama full of speculations.

Hemant Soren, son of JMM supremo Shibu Soren was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, after the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the ED.

Meanwhile, official sources in New Delhi said the Enforcement Directorate is soon expected to approach the Supreme Court with an SLP against the Jharkhand High Court order that granted bail to Hemant Soren in a money laundering case.

The ED is likely to challenge the June 28 order passed by the single bench of Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay stating that the court’s belief that the petitioner (Soren) is “not guilty” was erroneous and the accused does not satisfy the twin conditions as required under section 45 of the PMLA, sources said.