Hemant Soren takes oath as Jharkhand Chief Minister after 5-month absence

Earlier today, Champai Soren resigned as Jharkhand Chief Minister, paving the way for Hemant Soren's return

Hemant Soren, the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), took oath of as Chief Minister of Jharkhand at 5 pm on Thursday at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.

Accompanied by leaders of the INDIA bloc, Hemant Soren arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi, where he was officially designated as the chief minister by Governor Radhakrishnan.

Earlier in the day, Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan extended an invitation to Soren to form the government, following the resignation of Champai Soren from the chief ministerial position. Champai Soren stepped down just five months after assuming office, paving the way for Hemant Soren’s return to the leadership role.

Earlier reports had indicated that Soren’s oath-taking ceremony would take place on July 7.

In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Soren had criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, alleging that an "anti-democracy conspiracy" orchestrated by political rivals had been thwarted. “Thank you, His Excellency the Governor. The end of the anti-democracy conspiracy hatched by the opposition has begun. Satyamev Jayate,” Soren wrote, invoking the phrase which means “Truth alone triumphs”.
 

Hemant Soren's arrest and resignation

Hemant Soren’s political journey has been tumultuous. He was released from Birsa Munda Jail on June 28 after nearly five months in custody, following bail granted by the Jharkhand High Court in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Before his arrest on January 31, Soren had insisted on resigning from his position as chief minister.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Soren in January on allegations of involvement in a Rs 600-crore land scam and associated money laundering activities.

Soren’s refusal to sign his arrest memo until he had submitted his resignation to Governor Radhakrishnan resulted in a dramatic series of events, including his escorted resignation at the Raj Bhavan.

Following his resignation, Soren was questioned and arrested by the ED. The action came two days after a raid on his Delhi residence, where officers seized Rs 36 lakh in cash and a BMW car. Soren has denied ownership of the seized assets, accusing the ED of disseminating “selective misinformation”.

Champai Soren's stint as Jharkhand chief minister

Champai Soren had taken office as chief minister at the Raj Bhavan on February 2 this year, following Hemant Soren’s arrest. His post had come as a surprise, as most expected Kalpana Soren, the Gandey MLA and wife of Hemant Soren, to become chief minister after her husband’s arrest.

Champai Soren, addressing the media, explained his resignation, “A few days ago, I was entrusted with the responsibility of the state. With Hemant Soren back, our alliance decided he should lead us. Hence, I have resigned from the post of chief minister.”

Hemant Soren, on his part, assured that further details regarding the government formation would be disclosed soon, stating, “We will provide all the details shortly. All procedures have been duly followed.”