Hemant Soren took the oath as Jharkhand's Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive term on Thursday, in a ceremony that became a platform for Opposition unity. The grand swearing-in event was held at Ranchi's Morabadi Ground, with Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administering the oath of office.

Leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, MK Stalin, and Tejashwi Yadav, among others, attended the event to underline their collective strength ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Soren’s return as Chief Minister follows his remarkable political resurgence after his earlier arrest in a money laundering case linked to a land scam. In a surprising electoral outcome, his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), in alliance with the Congress, RJD, and CPI-ML, defied exit polls to secure 56 of the 81 Assembly seats in the recently concluded state elections.

With the oath-taking completed, Soren’s immediate focus will shift to cabinet formation. Following constitutional guidelines that cap the Jharkhand cabinet at 12 members, ministerial positions will be distributed proportionally among alliance partners. The Congress is expected to secure four positions, the RJD one, while left parties, with two MLAs, may also receive one berth.

The allocation of portfolios will aim to balance representation among the coalition partners and maintain harmony within the newly re-elected government.