Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren to resign today, oath-taking on Tuesday
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will meet Governor Santosh Gangwar at 4:00pm on Sunday to formally stake his claim to form the government, ANI reported. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader will be sworn in as the CM for the fourth time on Tuesday, multiple news channels reported. Soren's return to power comes after a massive win for the JMM-led coalition. The alliance—consisting of the JMM, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and CPI-ML—won 56 seats in the 81-member assembly.
JMM-led alliance secures victory in Jharkhand assembly elections
The JMM was the single-largest party with 34 seats, while its allies Congress and RJD won 16 and four seats, respectively. The win guaranteed a second consecutive term for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. The swearing-in ceremony will reportedly be graced by top leaders of the opposition INDIA, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party head Akhilesh Yadav, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
BJP suffers major defeat in Jharkhand assembly elections
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a major defeat, winning just 21 seats in one of its worst showings since Jharkhand's inception in 2000. Earlier this year, Soren resigned as chief minister amid corruption allegations related to mining leases and was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. After spending months in prison, he was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court. Upon his release, he managed to rally his coalition to defeat anti-incumbency sentiments and secure a strong mandate.
