First expansion of coalition government in Jharkhand

Gitashree Oraon from the Congress, Champa Soren, Hazi Hussain Ansari and Simon Marandi of JMM and Suresh Paswan of RJD were sworn in as ministers

The first expansion of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led coalition government in Jharkhand.with six new ministers was held today at the Birsa Mandap in Raj Bhavan. Bare of the Congress, JMM and Rashtrya Janata Dal (RJD) have filled up their approved quota in the cabinet today.

Gitashree Oraon, from the Congress Champa Soren, Hazi Hussain Ansari and Simon Marandi of the JMM and Suresh Paswan of the RJD were sworn in as ministers today by the state Governor Syed Ahmed. Gitashree Oran is the second female minister in the Hemant Soren-led coalition government.

Earlier, Annapurna Devi from the RJD had taken oath as minister on the first day of formation of the government, when Rajendra Prasad Singh also from the Congress had taken oath as minister.

Soon after the swearing in ceremony today in Raj Bhavan, a senior state Congress leader, unwilling to identify told Business Standard that the second and final cabinet expansion would take place on August 12.As decided by the Congress high command there would be no deputy minister's post in the present government which JMM's Hemant Soren had held during the BJP led Arjun Munda government, he added. He admitted that lot of disputes had been cropped up among the aspirants for ministerial posts. He expected that the dispute would be over after expansion of final round of cabinet expansion on August 12.

The leader reminded that the Congress high command before formation of the coalition government in Jharkhand, had given a condition that no tainted person would by inducted in the coalition ministry.

In order to abide this decision, the high command had been searching clean face to fill up the rest quota of the Congress berths in the coalition led government.Notably, more than three weeks had passed since the installation of the three member coalition ministry on July 13