Hemant Soren, chief of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), met Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar on Sunday to stake his claim to form the government. This came after the INDIA bloc in Jharkhand unanimously elected him as their legislature party leader.
Before approaching the governor, Soren resigned as chief minister, a procedural step before taking on the role again. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Soren said, “I have staked claim to form the government, and have handed over support letter of alliance partners to the governor. He invited us to form the government. The swearing in ceremony will be held on November 28.”
Also Read:Jharkhand Results: Hemant Soren wins Barhait seat with over 95,000 votes
Soren’s JMM-led coalition, which includes Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and CPI-ML, achieved a decisive victory in the Jharkhand assembly elections, winning 56 out of 81 seats. The BJP-led NDA, despite a high-energy campaign, managed only 24 seats.
At 49, Soren is set to begin his second consecutive term as chief minister, reaffirming his stronghold on Jharkhand’s tribal electorate. The state, carved out of Bihar in 2000, has long been a battleground for its tribal identity and aspirations.
This win is particularly significant for Soren, who faced a turbulent year marked by a legal battle and an arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. Despite these challenges, he came back stronger, securing his Barhait seat with a comfortable margin of 39,791 votes.
His wife, Kalpana Soren, also played a crucial role during his absence, steering the party and winning her Gandey seat by 17,142 votes.
Expressing gratitude to voters, Soren called the victory a “celebration of democracy.” For the BJP, the results were a major blow as it struggled to make inroads against the INDIA bloc’s well-coordinated campaign.