Champai Soren takes oath as Jharkhand Chief Minister, has 10 days to prove majority

JMM legislative party leader Champai Soren was sworn in as the chief minister of Jharkhand on Friday, days after his predecessor and party chief Hemant Soren was arrested.

Governor C P Radhakrishnan accepted his claim to form the government after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha claimed there was "confusion" in the state which was without a chief minister since the resignation of Hemant Soren on Wednesday.

Champai Soren-led JMM-Congress alliance has been given 10 days to prove majority.

State Congress chief Rajesh Thakur had earlier said the new government would take oath "before the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters the state."

The JMM also released a video in which 43 legislators were present to show the coalition strength in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly.

Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday after over seven hours of questioning on money laundering charges in an alleged land fraud case. Before the arrest, he tendered his resignation as Jharkhand chief minister.

The Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea on Friday challenging the arrest, and asked the former Jharkhand CM to approach the High Court.

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