Jharkhand election results: Hemant Soren to take oath on November 28, invite top INDIA bloc ministers

RANCHI/PATNA: Outgoing Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Sunday staked claim to form the next govt in the state after INDIA bloc (JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI-ML) unanimously elected him legislative party leader.

Even as Hemant prepared for his oath-taking as the 14th CM of Jharkhand on Nov 28, RJD said it expected at least two cabinet berths in the new govt after the party put up a good performance in the assembly polls, winning four seats, three more than its tally in 2019. "Although berth distribution is prerogative of the CM, we expect at least two," Jharkhand RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said in Patna.

On Sunday, Hemant, accompanied by INDIA bloc members and a few MLAs, submitted his resignation to governor Santosh Gangwar at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. He submitted a letter of support from 56 MLAs to the governor, JMM said. "The governor accepted his resignation and urged him to continue as caretaker CM until the new govt takes oath," a Raj Bhavan communique said.

"The new govt will take oath of office on Nov 28. We have begun preparations for the formalities," Hemant said. Earlier in the day, he met INDIA bloc members at his Kanke Road house in Ranchi.

Sources in JMM and Congress said Hemant is likely to replicate his 2019 model while forming the cabinet. "One minister from each of the alliance parties will be sworn-in along with Hemant, like it was the last time. The cabinet will be expanded later," a senior Congress member said.

JMM insiders said the oath-taking ceremony, to be organised at Morabadi Ground, will be an open-air event. "National members of INDIA bloc including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Arvind Kejriwal, Ajit Pawar, MK Stalin, Dipankar Bhattacharya, Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi Yadav and Mamata Banerjee will be invited to attend the ceremony," a JMM member said. Sources in INDIA bloc said formation of the cabinet, which can have a maximum of 12 ministers, is unlikely to be a smooth affair as Congress and RJD would want a greater share.

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