Jharkhand Governor K Sankarananaryanan today invited Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Chief Shibu Soren to form the new government in Jharkhand.
After Soren met the governor for 10 minutes, the latter asked him to take the oath on December 30 at 2 pm, Raj Bhavan sources said here.
The JMM supremo, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader Raghubar Das and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) legislature party head Sudesh Mahto, had yesterday called on the governor and submitted letters of support of 42 MLAs in the 81-member House.
Later, last night, the figure swelled to 44 after the Janata Dal-United (JDU) also handed over a letter of support of its two MLAs (to JMM) to the governor.
Supporting Soren were 18 MLAs of his own party, 18 of BJP, two of JDU, five of AJSU and one of JJM.
The Congress has said it would abide by the decision of the governor.