Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren is all set to be sworn-in as the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, in Ranchi on Thursday.

The oath-taking ceremony will be held in a grand ceremony at Morabadi Ground. Several prominent leaders, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , are expected to attend the event.

Soren will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at 4 pm. This will be the 49-year-old JMM leader’s fourth stint as the Chief Minister.

Soren retained the Barhait seat, defeating BJP’s Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes in the recent assembly polls. The JMM-led alliance stormed to victory, securing 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, while the BJP-led NDA managed 24 seats.

The JMM alliance includes the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Indian National Congress (Congress), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) whereas the NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).

Ranchi Schools Closed, Traffic Restrictions in Place

Posters for the event were put up across the city, while security has been strengthened and traffic regulations put in place.

Further, schools in Ranchi have also been ordered to remain shut on Thursday in view of the swearing in of the Hemant Soren government.

Jharkhand in-charge and Congress general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir said Soren is likely to take oath alone, and expansion of the cabinet will be held after a vote of confidence in the assembly.

Other senior political leaders likely to be in attendance are NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, a JMM leader said.

CPI(ML)L general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav , PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and Bihar’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav are also likely to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

“It’s heartening to have such esteemed leaders join us for this important occasion,” said Soren, who along with senior officials paid a visit to the Morabadi ground on Wednesday evening to take stock of the arrangements. 

(With PTI inputs)