Hemant Soren begins third stint as Jharkhand CM after hurried oath-taking

RANCHI: Hemant Soren was sworn in as chief minister of Jharkhand for his third stint as Raj Bhavan announced the hurriedly arranged swearing-in ceremony, two hours before its commencement on Thursday evening,
While JMM and Congress did not reveal the reasons behind his hasty move, Raj Bhavan sources said there was no official communication from the CM-elect about the July 7 oath-taking date, which JMM rank and file knew till Thursday morning."He was asked to intimate a date and time for the swearing-in. On Thursday morning, a letter was received by the Governor's Secretariat that he would take oath at 5 pm and it was arranged accordingly," a senior Raj Bhavan official told TOI.
While JMM wanted Soren back as CM, before ED moves the Supreme Court against the Jharkhand high court's bail order and an auspicious muhurat falling at 5 pm Thursday, top sources said a courtesy call to Sonia Gandhi on June 30, two days after coming out of jail, led Soren to change his mind and retain the CM's post.
A top Congress functionary said that Sonia prodded him to retain charge to maintain clarity among the alliance partners and workers and prevent dual power centres.
Hemant's third swearing-in ceremony as CM, since he first took charge in 2013, took place at Raj Bhavan's Durbar Hall. "No invitation cards were sent out due to the short notice. Around 100 guests, including former chief minister Champai Soren, attended the function," another Raj Bhavan official said.
Besides Champai, Hemant's father Shibu Soren, wife Kalpana Murmu Soren, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur and former ministers in Champai's cabinet attended the function. Several MLAs of the ruling INDIA bloc also attended the swearing-in. Soon after taking oath, Hemant drove with his wife to the Sidho-Kanhu Park in Morabadi and paid his tributes to the statue of tribal revolutionaries Sidho and Kanhu Murmu. Then, he reached his office at Jharkhand Mantralaya and assumed charge.
What next? Party scrambles to find role for Champai
Hours after Hemant Soren was sworn in as CM, JMM top brass went into a huddle to discuss suitable role for Champai Soren, the 68-year-old MLA from Seraikela who assumed the office of Jharkhand's 12th chief minister following Hemant Soren's arrest on Jan 31 this year and passed the baton quietly back to Hemant on his return from jail on Wednesday.
The buzz within the INDIA bloc on Wednesday was that Champai could be appointed as the chairman of the advisory committee formed in 2022 to advise the govt on policy and political matters. However, putting Champai in charge would mean getting Shibu, who is the chairman of the council, to relinquish office. "This is a move which is highly unlikely given Shibu's status in the party and in Jharkhand's politics," a JMM central committee member said.
Another possibility for Champai would be to don the mantle of JMM's working president and lead the outfit into the assembly polls later this year. "Even this looks unlikely given that Hemant, who holds the post, would want to have complete control over the party and its organisation. Since ours is not a national party, Champaida's name cannot be recommended for governor's role in other state," a JMM executive committee member said. JMM general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey did not comment. "It is a matter of the party's highest leadership to decide," he said. JMM insiders also ruled out chance of Hemant's wife Kalpana Murmu Soren, who is a first time MLA from Gandey, getting a cabinet berth. Basant, Hemant's younger brother and former minister in the cabinet of Champai, will likely be picked again.