JMM''s Champai Soren takes oath as chief minister of Jharkhand

Ranchi: JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren on Friday took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand.

He was administered the oath of office by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan here.

Along with Champai Soren, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta took oath as state ministers.

After the swearing in, several legislators are leaving for Hyderabad ahead of the floor test in the assembly. This is an effort by the alliance to protect its flock.

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In the 81 member Jharkhand assembly Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has 29, its ally the Congress has 17 seats while the RJD and the CPI (ML) have 1 seat each. With the support of 43 MLAs the INDIA bloc has the numbers to sail through a floor test.

On the opposition bench the Bharatiya Janata Party has 26 seats, AJSU 3 while Independents and others have 3 MLAs. 1 seat in the assembly is vacant.

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On Thursday, Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan invited Champai Soren to Raj Bhavan to form the government in the state. Champai Soren, a loyalist of JMM leader Hemant Soren, has been mandated to demonstrate his majority in a floor test, which will be held within the next 10 days.

Champai Soren, along with 43 legislators had met Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan, staking a claim to form the government in the state.

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Champai Soren, the state transport minister, is a seven-time MLA, and he represents the Seraikella constituency in Jharkhand. Before joining the JMM, he was an independent MLA.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, JMM Chief Soren met Governor Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhawan and handed over his resignation after over six hours of questioning by the ED in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the alleged land scam case.

Meanwhile, Soren was arrested on Wednesday night by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) after six hours of questioning in the money laundering case linked to the alleged land scam.

The probe pertains to huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by forging official records by showing 'fake sellers' and purchasers in the guise of forged or bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores.

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