JMM legislative body leader Hemant Soren is all set to take oath as the ninth Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Saturday.
With this, nearly six-month-long President's Rule would also come to an end as the Union Cabinet in its Thursday meeting recommended to revoke it and sent the recommendation to the President for his approval. As expected, the Cabinet took up the issue in the meeting following the JMM staking claim to form a coalition Government in the State with the support of 43 legislators featuring from Congress, RJD and Independents two days back on Tuesday. Informing about the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters in Delhi, "The Cabinet today unanimously recommended revocation of President's Rule in Jharkhand."
Back home, Hemant Soren, after the decision, expressed his desire to take oath on July 13 and expected to get a call from Raj Bhawan soon in this regard. It is also learnt that following the oath, the first Cabinet meeting may be called on July 14 that may also decide to convene the Assembly session. Most likely, Hemant Soren would seek trust vote in the Assembly on July 16 and election of Speaker on the preceding day.
Besides Hemant, Congress legislative Party leader Rajendra Singh and legislative body leader of RJD Annapurna Devi would take oath that would also meet the quorum of the Cabinet. RJD with five MlAs is extending crucial support to the fresh coalition Government; the third during the incumbent stint of Assembly polled in 2009 which also underwent the central rule for two times.
As per the understanding arrived by the JMM and the Congress, both the parties would occupy five ministerial berths each, leaving the rest two for the RJD out of 12 on the offer. Names making rounds for the ministerial posts include Champai Soren, Mathura Prasad Mahto, Simon Marandi (all JMM), KN Tripathi, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Chandrashekhar Dubey, Geetashree Oraon (all Congress) and Suresh Paswan from RJD, besides those inducted at the first place.
"Final list of the faces in the Cabinet would be finalised in Delhi when the senior leaders would go there. Some have even started lobbying for the coveted post with their high commands. As of now, all are just speculations," said a senior JMM functionary, indicating that Hemant was keeping the matter close to him. Interestingly, there is no taker for the Speaker's post in the Jharkhand Assembly! Names of Simon Marnadi, Hazi Hussain Ansari, Bandhu Tirkey and Sarfaraz Ahemd are coming to the fore, but no one sounds interested for it. "I don't think I am fit for the post. I also do not keep well," said Simon, whereas Tirkey, an Independent, has also reportedly refused, citing limitations of raising issues of his "constituency in the Assembly."