BJP National Secretary Arjun Munda was sworn in as Jharkhand’s eighth chief minister today. Governor M O H Farook administered the oath of secrecy to Munda at the Bisa Mandap in Raj Bhavan. Sudesh Mahto of the All Jharkhand Students Union (Ajsu) and Hemant Soren of JMM were inducted as ministers.
The Governor has asked Munda to prove his majority in the Assembly within one week of assuming office. According to BJP sources, Munda may not need seven days to prove his majority and is ready to face the floor test on September 14. Sources said Munda would expand his cabinet after he won the floor test.
Munda, who had been Jharkhand’s chief minister twice before, in 2003 and 2005, had met the governor on September 9 and apprised him that he had the support of 45 legislators from BJP, JMM, Ajsu and JD(U) and two independents in the 81-member house.
Meanwhile, official sources said that though there had been no provision in the Constitution for the post of a deputy chief minister, the two newly inducted ministers, Sudesh Mahto of Ajsu and Hemant Soren of JMM legislature party leaders would be designated as deputy chief ministers.
The source said in the previous Arjun Munda-led government, Sudesh Mahto was designated as the deputy chief minister. Hemant Soren, son of JMM leader Shibu Soren, was inducted as minister in Jharkhand for the first time. He would also be designated as deputy chief minister.
After taking oath as the chief minister, Munda told reporters that the most important task in hand for his government will be to provide relief to villagers in drought-hit areas.
Among those present in the swearing-in ceremony were BJP leader Rajnath Singh, Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Uttaranchal CM Ramesh Pokhriyal, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
