Jharkhand: Hemant Soren invited to form government; oath-taking on Sunday
Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday officially invited Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren to form the state government. This invitation comes after the resignation of former Chief Minister Champai Soren on Wednesday night, clearing the path for Hemant's return to office. The swearing-in ceremony is slated for July 7, as confirmed by party general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya.
Hemant's legal troubles amidst political ascendancy
Soren, currently out on bail, had resigned as chief minister before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January on charges related to an alleged land scam and money laundering. He was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28. The court granted Hemant bail after finding no specific or indirect evidence linking him to the acquisition and possession of land related to "proceeds of crime."
Allegations and political reactions surrounding Soren's appointment
"The overall conspectus of the case based on broad possibilities does not specifically or indirectly assign the petitioner to be involved in the acquisition and possession as well as concealment of 8.86 acres of land at Shantinagar, Bargain, Ranchi connected to the 'proceeds of crime," said the 55-page order passed by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay. Following his release, he told the media that he was "falsely implicated" in the money laundering case and was forced to spend five months in jail.
Hemant will become the 13th CM of Jharkhand
With the swearing in, Hemant will become the 13th CM of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar in November 2000. According to reports, Hemant was elected legislature party leader on Wednesday after a consensus between the MLAs and leaders of the alliance of the JMM, the Congress, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Champai, meanwhile, is likely to be appointed working president of JMM.
