Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan extended an invitation to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren to lead the state government, following the resignation of his predecessor Champai Soren as Chief Minister. The swearing-in ceremony for the new Chief Minister and his Cabinet is scheduled for today, as confirmed by party general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya.
Champai submitted his resignation to the Governor on Wednesday, after Hemant was elected as the leader by the ruling coalition’s 45 MLAs. Hemant, who was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28 after being arrested five months earlier, was released from jail. The court acknowledged that there were grounds to believe that he was innocent of the money laundering charges related to a land deal in Ranchi.
Champai expressed hesitance in relinquishing the CM’s position, citing concerns that it would be unfavorable given the upcoming state elections. He also emphasized his own status as a “mass leader” and warned of potential efforts to destabilize Hemant’s government once more, especially since Hemant was currently out on bail.
During a rally following his release, Hemant declared on Sunday that the state elections would be conducted “sooner” and that he was prepared to participate at any moment. “In light of the current situation in the nation, the INDIA bloc has made the decision to initiate a revolution. We are committed to removing these feudal individuals (BJP) from both the state and the country,” he stated.