Popular rule was today restored in Jharkhand with Hemant Soren being sworn in as Chief Minister of a coalition government led by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
37-year-old Soren, son of JMM chief Shibu Soren, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Syed Ahmed this morning after President Pranab Mukherjee revoked the nearly six-month-long central rule in the state.
Rajendra Prasad Singh and Annapurna Devi, Legislature Party leaders of the Congress and the RJD respectively which are part of the coalition, were also sworn in as ministers during the ceremony at the Birsa Mandap on Raj Bhavan premises.
Soren, who gave the governor a list of 43 MLAs supporting him in the 82-member assembly, is expected to expand his ministry after taking the floor test.
Soren, who heads the ninth ministry in less than 13 years, became the fifth tribal CM after Babulal Marandi (once), Arjun Munda (thrice), Shibu Soren (thrice) and Madhu Koda (once) since the state was created on November 15, 2000.
JMM president Shibu Soren, who was present at the ceremony, and Hemant Soren have now got the distinction of being the first father and son to have ruled the state.
The senior Soren had three short terms at the helm of affairs between 2005 and 2010.
The governor invited Hemant Soren for the swearing-in ceremony late last night after Raj Bhavan received official communication about the Presidential nod on the cabinet recommendation for revocation of central rule.
The JMM-LP leader had staked claim on July 9 for formation of a government in alliance with Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, smaller parties and independent MLAs.
The President's rule was imposed on January 18 due to political instability after the JMM withdrew support to the BJP-led government under Arjun Munda and it was set to end on July 18.
This is the third government in the same house after the results threw a fractured mandate in the November/December 2009 assembly elections.
