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Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Mehbooba Mufti are among the leaders slated to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren with his wife Kalpana Soren (PTI Image)
Hemant Soren, the newly-elected leader of the INDIA alliance, is all set to take the oath as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister for the fourth time today (Thursday, November 28). The swearing-in ceremony will serve as a significant occasion for the opposition bloc to demonstrate its unity and strength, with several key leaders expected to attend.
Along with Soren, one minister from Congress and RJD is also expected to be sworn in during the event.
Soren will become the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, which was formed from Bihar on November 15, 2000. The majority threshold in the state assembly is 41 seats.
Time, Venue & Arrangements
The ceremony will take place at Ranchi’s Morabadi ground, a venue that previously hosted Soren’s oath-taking ceremony on December 29, 2019. The oath will be administered to Soren by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at 4 pm.
Extensive decorations are underway, with an estimated crowd of 50,000 expected to attend from across the state.
State Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, on Wednesday, reviewed the preparations, ensuring seamless coordination.
Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Varun Ranjan and SSP Chandan Sinha conducted a detailed briefing for officials and staff handling the event’s administrative and security arrangements.
They emphasised strict adherence to protocols for guest management and security to ensure the event’s smooth execution.
The Guest List
The official guest list includes several prominent leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, NCP President Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray, former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti, Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Bihar MP Pappu Yadav, and AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, whose National People’s Party is a NDA constituent, is also slated to attend.
These names have been officially confirmed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
ALSO READ: Hemant Soren Meets PM Modi, Amit Shah; Invites Them For His Oath Ceremony
On Tuesday, Soren met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first visit to the national capital after leading his ruling alliance to an unprecedented second straight term in the state. The Prime Minister’s Office posted pictures of the meeting. Soren was accompanied by his wife Kalpana, who has also been elected as an MLA in the recent elections.
In a post on X, Soren said he has invited Modi to his oath-taking ceremony in Ranchi on Thursday. He also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as well as former party chief Rahul Gandhi, besides AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and his wife, in New Delhi and invited them for his oath-taking.
In a stunning comeback, Hemant Soren’s JMM-led alliance on Saturday stormed to power in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term, winning 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, despite an all-out blitz by the BJP-led NDA, which managed only 24 seats.
Soren retained Barhait seat by defeating BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes. JMM contested 43 seats and won 34, the highest-ever tally of the party in its history. The Congress got 16 seats, RJD four and the CPI (ML) secured two seats in the INDIA bloc. As per the arrangement, RJD may get one ministerial berth.
Soren on Sunday met the Governor and staked claim to form the government, soon after leaders of the INDIA bloc in the state unanimously elected him as the legislature party leader.
He resigned as the chief minister, before staking claim to form the government. He has been officiating as the acting chief minister till oath is administered to him.
(With agency inputs)
