Hemant Soren Secures Confidence Vote Following Release from Jail and Reappointment as Chief Minister
New Delhi, 8 July 2024
In the latest floor test, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren passed, securing 45 votes out of 76 members. This confidence vote follows Soren’s swearing-in ceremony as chief minister on July 4 at Raj Bhavan, Ranchi.
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The motion for confidence was backed by 45 MLAs in total, including Josheph P. Galastaun, who was nominated. Before the voting, BJP and AJSU members from the opposition left the room. There are 24 BJP members and three AJSU members in the opposition led by the BJP. Saryu Roy, an independent lawmaker, did not participate in the vote.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto was asked to give MLA Bhanu Pratap Sahi a chance to speak, but the request was turned down by BJP members who had interrupted the session before.
The ruling coalition, consisting of the JMM, Congress, and RJD, is supported by the lone CPI (ML) Liberation legislator. The coalition’s strength has been reduced to 45 MLAs after the Lok Sabha elections, with two JMM MLAs now serving as parliamentarians and one resigning to contest the elections on a BJP ticket.
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The BJP’s strength has similarly decreased to 24 members, with two MLAs now MPs and one expelled for joining Congress.
Hemant Soren was sworn in as Jharkhand’s 13th chief minister on July 4, a day after Champai Soren stepped down. His return followed his release from jail after receiving bail in the money laundering case.
Hemant Soren had previously resigned as chief minister on January 31, 2024, after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged land scam. During his absence, Champai Soren served as the chief minister for five months.
