The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Ranchi): Amidst political turmoil in Jharkhand, Champai Soren, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Friday at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. In addition to Champai Soren, Alamgir Alam from the Congress and Satyanand Bhokta from the RJD also took the oath as ministers in the Jharkhand cabinet.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, several legislators left for Hyderabad ahead of the floor test in the assembly, aiming to protect the alliance’s majority. In the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, the JMM has 29 seats, its ally Congress has 17, while the RJD and CPI (ML) have 1 seat each, forming the INDIA bloc with 43 MLAs, which is expected to pass the floor test.
On the opposition side, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 26 seats, AJSU has 3, and Independents and others have 3 MLAs. One seat in the assembly is vacant.
Champai Soren, a loyalist of JMM leader Hemant Soren, was tasked with proving his majority in a floor test within the next 10 days after being invited by Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan to form the government in the state.
Champai Soren, a seven-time MLA representing the Seraikella constituency in Jharkhand, had joined the JMM from being an independent MLA. However, he was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday night after six hours of questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
The investigation revolves around significant proceeds of crime generated through the forgery of official records, involving fake sellers and purchasers using forged or bogus documents to acquire valuable land parcels worth crores.
