Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislature party leader Champai Soren on Friday took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He was administered the oath of office by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhawan here. Along with Champai Soren, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta took oath as State Ministers. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan and senior leaders of the JMM-led alliance were present on the occasion. The 67-year-old tribal leader was sworn-in as the 12th Chief Minister of the State. He became the sixth CM from Jharkhand’s Kolhan region which comprises East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts. Champai Soren was appointed to the Chief Minister’s post on Thursday after he urged the Governor to accept his claim to form the Government at the earliest as there was “confusion” in the State which was without a Chief Minister since the resignation of Hemant Soren on Wednesday, deepening a political crisis. “We will take forward welfare schemes launched by Hemant Soren. I am committed to the development of Jharkhand,” the new CM said after taking oath.

 

He also said, “We will continue the fight for ‘Jal, Jungle, Jameen’ (water, forest, land) for all round development of tribals and others.” Champai Soren has been given 10 days to prove his Government’s majority, said State Congress chief Rajesh Thakur whose party is a constituent of the JMM-led alliance. “We stand united. Our alliance is very strong. No one can break it,” Champai Soren had said on Thursday. Soren-led coalition Government will seek trust vote on February 5, Minister Alamgir Alam said on Friday after a Cabinet meeting. “The floor test to prove majority by the JMM-led alliance in the State will be heldonFebruary5onthefirst day of a two-day Assembly session,” Alam told PTI. The decision was taken in the first Cabinet meeting of the Government, chaired by Chief Minister Champai Soren. Notably, JMM executivePresidentHemantSoren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesdayinamoneylaundering case linked to an alleged land fraud after he resigned as Jharkhand Chief Minister. Soon after taking oath, Champai Soren paid homage to tribal icons Birsa Muda and SidhoKanho who laidtheirlivesfightingagainst the British colonial forces.

 

Celebrations began at his native village Jilinggora in Seraikela-Kharsawandistrict where his relatives and familymemberswereseendancing to the tunes of traditional instruments likeDhol and Nagara. MLAS OF JHARKHAND’S RULINGALLIANCEARRIVE INHYDERABAD:THEMLAs of the ruling JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand landed in Hyderabad on Friday amidthecoalition’sfearsthat the BJP may attempt to “poach” them in the run-up to the trust vote to be faced by the newly-formed ChampaiSorenGovernment. About40legislatorsarrived attheBegumpetairporthere in two flights, Congress sources said. AICCTelanganain-charge DeepaDas Munshiandstate Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar received the MLAs. It was not immediately known where the ruling coalitionMLAswouldbe accommodated. A senior leader of the ruling coalition had said in Ranchi that the decision to shift the legislators to Hyderabad, capital of the Congress-ruled Telangana, was taken considering that theoppositionBJPmaymake attempts to “poach” them. “We were given 10 days to prove the government’s majority. We can’t take any chance during the period as the BJP might try to contact ourMLAs,” the seniorleader said. A video released by the JMM-led coalition on Thursday showed the support of 43 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. It was not immediatelyknownwhere theruling coalitionMLAswouldbe accommodated. After taking the oath, ChampaiSorensaid:“Wewill takeforwardwelfareschemes launched by Hemant Soren. I am committedtothedevelopment of Jharkhand”. He also said, “We will continuethefightfor'Jal,Jungle, Jameen' (water, forest, land) for all-round development of tribals and others.” Meanwhile, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was remanded in Enforcement Directorate custody for five daysbya specialPMLAcourt here in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud, lawyers said.