Hemant Soren, executive president of the Jharkhand Mukthi Morcha, will assume charge as the 11th Chief Minister of Jharkhand at the Morabadi ground in Ranchi on Sunday.
The swearing-in is expected to turn into a big display of Opposition unity, similar to the gathering in Bengaluru in May 2018 when Janata Dal(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy took office as Karnataka Chief Minister.
Over 10,000 guests are expected, and elaborate arrangements have been put in place for a grand function. Rameshwar Oraon, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee president who won the Lohardaga seat, is likely to be sworn in as a Minister.
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Sources said the JMM and the Congress were still in discussions on induction of Ministers, and the Ministry will be expanded later.
The Chief Ministers of several States ruled by the BJP’s rival parties are expected at the swearing-in, along with heads of many Opposition parties.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be present, said R.P.N. Singh, who is in charge of party affairs in Jharkhand.
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The Chief Ministers Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal and Uddhav Thackeray of Maharashtra are likely to attend the function. Harivansh Narayan Singh, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, will participate.
Former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Harish Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Jitan Ram Manjhi (Bihar) are expected.
Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party chief; M.K. Stalin, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, and party MPs T.R. Baalu and Kanimozhi; Tejashwi Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar; Kanhaiya Kumar, Communist Party of India leader; and Ministers from Chhattisgarh and West Bengal figure on the guest list.
The Jharkhand CM-designate received a huge number of books following his appeal to visitors that he be greeted with books instead of flowers.
“These books will be preserved in a library to be built by the State government,” he said.
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, JMM has won 30 seats while its alliance partners, Congress and RJD, have won 16 and one, respectively. The Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (Prajatantrik), led by former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, with three MLAs has extended unconditional support to Mr. Soren-led alliance.
The BJP with 25 seats will be the principal Opposition party in Jharkhand.