Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Champai Soren took oath as the twelfth Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Friday, even as his predecessor Hemant Soren was remanded to five days in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Satyanand Bhokta and Congress MLA Alamgir Alam also took oath as Cabinet Ministers in a swearing-in ceremony that came two days after Mr. Hemant Soren’s resignation and arrest in an alleged land scam case.
Soon after the ceremony, 39 MLAs of the ruling coalition, who have been staying in the Ranchi Circuit House, were rushed straight to the airport and flown to Hyderabad by chartered plane in a bid to prevent them from being poached by the Opposition before before the new government seeks a vote of confidence on February 5. The JMM-led alliance has submitted support letters from 47 MLAs to the Raj Bhavan.
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Before boarding the chartered flight, several MLAs said that they were going to Hyderabad due to fear of harassment by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The MLAs were met in Hyderabad by Telangana Congress leaders Deepadas Munshi and Ponnam Prabhakar and taken straight from the airport to the Leonia Resort in Shamirpet on the outskirts of the city.
‘Will continue work for tribals’
After taking his oath, Mr. Champai Soren said that he would continue the former CM’s work to strengthen tribal rights. “Under the leadership of Hemant Soren, the State developed a lot. He raised the voice of the tribals and tried his level best to resolve their problems. We will continue to complete the work that Hemant Soren was doing. We will work on every sector — be it health, education, agriculture or law and order — keeping public interest in mind. I will try my level best to perform the duty which has been given to me,“ the new CM said.
Mr. Champai Soren also held his first Cabinet meeting, at which it was decided to convene a special two-day session of the Jharkhand Assembly from February 5.
Remanded to ED custody
Earlier in the day, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court granted the ED five days remand of Mr. Hemant Soren, who was arrested in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. The Supreme Court has refused to entertain his plea against his arrest, and asked him to approach the High Court. The former CM had resigned on Wednesday after ED officials held him for over seven hours of questioning for the second time, at his official residence.
After his resignation, senior JMM leader and Transport Minister Champai Soren was elected as the leader of the legislative party. A five-time MLA from Saraikela, Mr. Champai Soren earned the nickname of ‘Jharkhand Tiger’ while playing an active role in the movement for Jharkhand’s statehood in the 1990s, alongside JMM patriarch Shibu Soren. Before taking oath, the new CM went to meet the party chief — who is also Mr. Hemant Soren’s father — and sought his blessings.
‘Remote control CM’
BJP leeader and Ranchi MLA C.P. Singh mocked Mr. Champai Soren, alleging that he would become a ‘remote control Chief Minister’. “It is true that Champai Soren is senior leader and close to Shibu Soren’s family, so it is obvious that he will operate through a remote control and that remote would be in the possession of Soren’s family. He will not be allowed to take any decision from own. He will just follow the instructions of Soren’s family. Congress and RJD are there and they will blackmail him. Loot will increase ahead of the Assembly election in Jharkhand, because little time is left,” Mr. Singh alleged.
The Jharkhand BJP held its legislative party meeting at party headquarters in Ranchi to discuss the present political situation in the State.
