Jharkhand CM Champai Soren Expands Cabinet, Inducts Eight JMM, Congress MLAs As Ministers

RANCHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren on Friday expanded his cabinet by inducting eight Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress MLAs as ministers. JMM leaders Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, Basant Soren - JMM leader and brother of former CM Hemant Soren, Hafizul Hasan, Bebi Devi, Deepak Birua, Congress' Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh took oath as ministers. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.

Swearing-in ceremony of ministers in CM Champai Soren-led Jharkhand cabinet underway in Ranchi.

JMM's Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, Basant Soren - JMM leader & brother of former CM Hemant Soren, JMM's Hafizul Hasan, Bebi Devi, Congress' Rameshwar Oraon, JMM's Deepak Birua, Congress'… pic.twitter.com/3MVZZYK5kD — ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2024

The Jharkhand CM also later allocated portfolios to the new ministers. CM Champai Soren kept the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms & Rajbhasha, Department of Home, Department of Cabinet Secretariat and Vigilance to himself.

Jharkhand portfolio allocation | CM Champai Soren keeps Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms & Rajbhasha, Department of Home, Department of Cabinet Secretariat and Vigilance

Rameshwar Oraon gets Finance Department, Department of Commercial Taxes

Banna Gupta gets… pic.twitter.com/lxFriqtPGd

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2024

While Rameshwar Oraon was given the Finance Department, and Department of Commercial Taxes, Banna Gupta got the Department of Health, Medical Education & Family Welfare and Department of Disaster Management. Basant Soren was allocated the Department of Road Construction, Building Construction Department and Water Resources Department.

67-year-old JMM leader Champai Soren leader was sworn in as the 12th Chief Minister of the state on February 2, after his predecessor Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in a money laundering case.

On the same day, two ministers -- Alamgir Alam of Congress and Satyanand Bhokta of RJD -- also took oath. According to constitutional provisions, Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers, including the Chief Minister.

Earlier on February 5, Jharkhand’s JMM-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister Champai Soren won the vote of confidence. Forty-seven legislators voted in favour of the confidence motion in the 81-member assembly, while 29 MLAs opposed it.

The majority alliance has 47 MLAs -- JMM 29, Congress 17 and RJD 1 in the Jharkhand assembly. The BJP has 26 members and the AJSU Party has three. The NCP and CPI (ML) have one lawmaker each, apart from two Independents. There is also one nominated member.