It will be for the third time that Jharkhand will have two deputy chief ministers in its nine-year long political history.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raghuvar Das and All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) chief Sudesh Mahto who were sworn-in today in the new Shibu Soren cabinet will be deputy chief ministers, according to sources in the BJP.
Since there is no reference to a deputy chief minister's post in the constitution, Das and Mahto took oath as ministers.
When Madhu Koda became chief minister of the UPA-coalition on September 18, 2008 he made Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Sudhir Mahto and former Independent MLA Stephen Marandi as his deputies as per a political understanding to form that government.
Sudhir Mahto and Stephen Marandi retained their posts even after Koda made way for Soren as chief minister on August 27, 2008.
There was no deputy chief minister of any coalition government on four occasions earlier.
