State Bureau, Ranchi: The Grand Alliance has secured a majority in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, winning a total of 56 out of 81 assembly seats in the state. Hemant Soren was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on November 28. However, the cabinet has not yet been formed.
The names of ministers from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are finalized, but delays on the Congress side have stalled the formation of Hemant Soren’s cabinet. Additionally, one legislator from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is set to be given a ministerial position, and this decision has already been made.
Cabinet Expansion Likely Before Assembly Session
It is expected that the cabinet expansion will take place before the assembly session. The formal process will be completed once Congress finalizes its list of names. To discuss this, state Congress president Keshav Mahato Kamlesh and other senior leaders are in Delhi for consultations with the party high command. The announcement of ministers’ names is expected during this period.
Awaiting Congress’s List
A senior JMM leader stated on Sunday that the cabinet will be formed as soon as Congress provides its list. However, no specific date has been decided yet. After consultations with the party high command, Congress leaders will meet Chief Minister Hemant Soren to finalize the decision.
Notably, a session of the newly elected assembly has been called from December 9 to complete the swearing-in of legislators and other legislative formalities. The session will run until December 12.
Meanwhile, the JMM has nearly completed the selection process for its ministerial candidates. The formula for the coalition’s participation in the cabinet will remain similar to the previous government, with six ministers from JMM, four from Congress, and one from RJD.
Possible JMM Ministerial Candidates
- Ramdas Soren, MLA from Ghatsila
- MT Raja, MLA from Rajmahal
- Deepak Birua, MLA from Chaibasa
- Savita Mahato, MLA from Ichagarh
- Anant Pratap Deo, MLA from Bhawanathpur
Likely RJD Ministerial Candidate
Suresh Paswan, the MLA from Deoghar and leader of the RJD legislative party, is a strong contender for the ministerial post.
