RANCHI, Feb 2: After two days of political uncertainty, JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren today sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand and the JMM-led coalition government will seek a vote of confidence on February 5.
Along with Champai Soren, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta were sworn in as state ministers by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan. Immediately after the swearing-in, 38 lawmakers of the ruling alliance were flown to Hyderabad to prevent any poaching attempt by the BJP in the run-up to the trust vote.
In its first cabinet meeting, the Champai Soren-led coalition Government decided to seek a vote of trust on Monday. The Governor gave 10 days to Champai Soren to prove a majority in the assembly, prompting the alliance to shift its MLAs from Jharkhand, a legislator said.
A senior leader of the coalition said:”The decision to shift the legislators to Hyderabad, the capital of Congress-ruled Telangana, was taken considering that the opposition BJP may make attempts to poach them.”
Congress leader Banna Gupta whose party is a constituent of the ruling alliance said,”As many as 38 MLAs flew to Hyderabad. Several others stayed back.”
The MLAs arrived at the Begumpet airport in Hyderabad in two flights, Congress sources said. AICC Telangana in-charge Deepa Das Munshi and state Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar received the MLAs.
It was not immediately known where the ruling coalition MLAs would be accommodated.
After taking the oath, Champai Soren said:”We will take forward welfare schemes launched by Hemant Soren. I am committed to the development of Jharkhand”.
He also said, “We will continue the fight for ‘Jal, Jungle, Jameen’ (water, forest, land) for all-round development of tribals and others.”
Meanwhile, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was remanded in Enforcement Directorate custody for five days by a special PMLA court here in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud, lawyers said. (PTI)
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