Hemant Soren Wins Floor Test After Third Swearing-In as Jharkhand CM

Hemant Soren, recently sworn in for his third term as Jharkhand's Chief Minister, passed a floor test, securing 45 MLAs' votes. Released from jail in June, Soren reclaims his position, promising to continue his work amid accusations against him by the BJP.

Days after his third swearing-in as Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren successfully won the floor test during a special session of the state assembly on Monday. Garnering the support of 45 MLAs, Soren reaffirmed his leadership, having taken the oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Jharkhand at Raj Bhavan, Ranchi on July 4.

Hemant Soren was released from Birsa Munda Jail on June 28, after nearly five months of imprisonment, following bail granted by the Jharkhand High Court in a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam. He had initially resigned as Chief Minister before his arrest on January 31. Soren was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January on charges linked to the alleged land scam and money laundering. Champai Soren, who succeeded him, resigned after a five-month stint, paving the way for Hemant Soren's return on Wednesday. Champai Soren had taken office as the 12th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on February 2 this year.

In a prior video message, Hemant Soren accused the BJP of making baseless accusations against him. He stated, 'In the 2019 Jharkhand Assembly Elections, the people of Jharkhand gave our party the mandate, but the conspirators couldn't accept an Adivasi holding a high position. Ultimately, on January 31, they (the BJP) leveled false allegations and removed me from the Chief Minister post. Thanks to the people's support, I'm here again. We will always be the voice of the people, and today, public opinion in Jharkhand will prevail once more as we resume our work.'

Hemant Soren's return as Chief Minister boosts the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which won three seats in the Lok Sabha elections in the tribal-dominated state. In 2019, JMM, in coalition with Congress and Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), secured a majority with 47 seats in the 81-member house.

(With inputs from agencies.)