Hemant Soren back as Jharkhand CM for 4th time

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony in Ranchi on Thursday, amid the presence of a galaxy of INDIA bloc leaders.

IMAGE: JMM executive president Hemant Soren takes oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand, in Ranchi, November 28, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The 49-year-old tribal leader was sworn in as the chief minister by Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

The governor administered the oath of office and secrecy to Soren at a function held in Morabadi ground in Ranchi, where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal were present.

Prior to taking the oath, Soren, donning a kurta and pyjama, met JMM president and his father Shibu Soren.

This is the fourth stint of the JMM leader as the chief minister of Jharkhand.

Hemant Soren retained the Barhait seat by defeating Bharatiya Janata Party's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes in the recent assembly polls.

The JMM-led alliance stormed to victory, securing 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, while the BJP-led NDA managed 24 constituencies.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist-Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav were among the political leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Tribal troupes, attired in traditional dresses, danced to the tune of 'dhol and nagara' at the venue, amid tight security arrangements.

Schools in Ranchi city remained closed on Thursday in view of the swearing-in of the Hemant Soren government.

Hours before taking the oath, Soren took to X, asserting that unity is the biggest weapon of people of the state, who can "neither be divided nor silenced".

In an apparent attack on the BJP-led central government, Soren also said whenever "they try to silence us", the revolution grows louder.

"Let there be no doubt about it - our unity is our biggest weapon. We can neither be divided nor silenced. Whenever they push us back, we move forward. Whenever they try to silence us, our voice of rebellion and revolution grows louder because we are Jharkhandis, and Jharkhandis do not bow down," Soren posted on X in Hindi.

"Our fight is firm and unceasing. The struggle continues and will continue till the last breath," he asserted.

Terming the day as historic, he said it would further strengthen "our collective struggle", the "spirit of love and brotherhood" and the commitment of Jharkhandis towards justice.

When “deep cracks” are emerging in the social structure, there is a need to resolve for unity, the CM said.

"It's heartening to have such esteemed leaders join us for this important occasion," Soren had said on Wednesday, as he paid a visit to the Morabadi ground to take stock of the arrangements.

On Tuesday, Soren had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, in his first visit to the national capital after leading the alliance to an unprecedented second consecutive term.

The JMM achieved its highest-ever tally in the elections, winning 34 of the 43 seats it contested.

The Congress secured 16, Rashtriya Janata Dal four, and CPI-ML-L managed two constituencies in the INDIA bloc.