Hemant Soren meets Jharkhand governor to stake claim to form government, swearing-in ceremony on November 28 

JMM leader Hemant Soren met with Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar on November 24 to stake claim to form the government following his unanimous election as the legislature party leader by the INDIA alliance. Before making his claim, Soren resigned as the chief minister, according to party officials. 

Speaking to the media after his meeting with the governor, Soren stated, “I have staked my claim to form the government and submitted the support letters from our alliance partners to the governor. He has invited us to form the government. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on November 28.” 

In a remarkable comeback, Soren’s JMM-led alliance secured a second consecutive term in power on November 23 winning 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, despite fierce competition from the BJP-led NDA, which won only 24 seats. The majority mark in the assembly is 41. 

Soren is set to be sworn in as the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, a state created from Bihar on November 15, 2000. This will be his fourth term in office. 

Sources indicate that six MLAs from Congress and four from RJD are expected to join Soren’s Cabinet, News18 reported. 

Meanwhile, speculations are rife that Congress may demand the post of the deputy chief minister.

JMM emerged as the largest party in the INDI alliance with 34 seats, while its allies Congress and RJD won 16 and 4 seats, respectively, bringing the alliance well past the majority threshold of 41 in the 81-seat assembly. 

Soren thanked the people of Jharkhand for their support and said that his party had passed the “exam of democracy”.  

“We have passed the exam of democracy in Jharkhand; we will finalize our strategy after the election results,” he remarked during a press conference as early trends indicated his party’s victory.  

Soren retained the Barhait seat, defeating BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes. He secured 95,612 votes, while Hembrom got 55,821 votes.

JMM’s return to power in Jharkhand also signifies the deepened influence of the Sorens among the tribal communities, as they successfully mobilised tribal sentiments following Hemant Soren’s arrest on January 31 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. 

Both Hemant and Kalpana managed to create a wave of sympathy among the tribal electorate, and despite the anti-incumbency sentiment, the BJP failed to capitalise on it and form a government, according to poll analysts.