Champai Soren takes oath as new chief minister of Jharkhand

Champai Soren, a leader from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party, has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. The ceremony took place around 12.15 pm at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.

The development unfolded after Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan, in a late-night move, invited a loyalist of JMM leader Hemant Soren, Champai Soren to Raj Bhavan to form the government on Thursday. Champai Soren has also been tasked with proving his majority in a floor test within the next 10 days.
The invitation followed Champai Soren's plea to the governor to expedite the acceptance of his claim to form the government. The political landscape in the state has been uncertain since Hemant Soren's resignation on Wednesday.

Amid the uncertainty, the JMM-led coalition had planned to fly its MLAs to Telangana from Ranchi. However, this was abruptly canceled as the chartered planes hired for the journey could not take off due to poor visibility.

Champai Soren steps in to replace Hemant Soren, who resigned as the chief minister following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged money laundering case. Hemant Soren has been sent to judicial custody until February 2. The case against him is linked to a "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand. The political scenario in Jharkhand is now poised for change as the state braces for a new leadership under Champai Soren.