Hemant Soren takes oath as Jharkhand's CM for second time
What's the story
Hemant Soren took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Sunday, days after the coalition of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) swept assembly polls. Meanwhile, BJP, which governed the state for full five years, faced embarrassing defeat. This is the second time Soren was sworn-in as the CM. He headed the state between July 2013 and December 2014.
Numbers
Election results: Weeks after 'Maha' debacle, BJP lost Jharkhand too
Results for the five-phased Jharkhand assembly polls, which started on November 30, were announced on December 24. Riding on the then CM Raghubar Das's failure to fulfill his promises and striking a chord with voters on regional issues, Soren led the coalition to win 47 of the 81 seats. BJP won only 25 seats, losing another state weeks after Maharashtra slipped from its hands.
Show of strength
Several chief ministers and Congress stalwarts attended the ceremony
Notably, Governor Droupadi Murmu administered Soren's oath at Morabadi Ground, amid opposition's show of strength. The event, for which large tents were installed at the venue, was attended by several chief ministers like Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Kamal Nath (Madhya Pradesh), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), and Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra). Congress stalwarts Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram also attended it.
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'Didi' by his side, Soren waved to followers
Jharkhand: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrives for the oath-taking ceremony of Jharkhand CM designate Hemant Soren, in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/Ybw4l39F1l
— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2019
Details
Rahul Gandhi and Stalin were also seen at venue
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, DMK's MK Stalin, and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav also attended the event. From Aam Aadmi Party, Sanjay Singh lent support to Soren. The last time a flurry of opposition leaders attended a swearing-in was in 2018 when HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S) took oath as Karnataka's Chief Minister. Back then, JD(S) and Congress had stitched a post-poll alliance.
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Opposition unity at display
Jharkhand: Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel DMK President MK Stalin at the oath-taking ceremony of Jharkhand CM designate Hemant Soren, in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/PAebDpNypK
— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2019
Leader
As Jharkhand's youngest CM, Soren tackled Maoist insurgency
Son of Shibhu Soren, a politician who enjoys clout in tribal-dominated areas, the new CM debuted in politics in 2005. From 2009 to 2013, Soren Jr. was the state's deputy CM when Arjun Munda was at the helm. Soren, who was also Jharkhand's youngest CM, is credited for tackling Maoist insurgency in West Singhbum through a number of development and security measures.
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Earlier, Soren asked citizens to witness "historic moment"
CM Designate श्री हेमंत सोरेन जी आज दोपहर 2 बजे झारखण्ड के मुख्यमंत्री पद की शपथ लेंगे।
— Office of Chief Minister, Jharkhand (@JharkhandCMO) December 29, 2019
आप सभी से अपील है कि इस ऐतिहासिक पल के साक्षी बनें।
मोरहाबादी मैदान में आयोजित कार्यक्रम में आप सभी सादर आमंत्रित हैं।#HemantTakesOath @HemantSorenJMM pic.twitter.com/bvCL9p1zgN