Hemant Soren takes oath as Jharkhand Chief Minister

Hemant Soren, the executive chief of JMM, took oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Thursday, marking his return to power after his recent release from jail in a money laundering case.

Earlier in the day, Governor C P Radhakrishnan extended the invitation to Hemant Soren to form the government, following the resignation of his predecessor Champai Soren.

Champai had met the Governor on Wednesday to formally step down as Chief Minister, clearing the way for Hemant's appointment. The decision came after the ruling coalition's 45 MLAs elected Hemant Soren as their leader. Hemant had been granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28, ending his five-month detention in connection with allegations of money laundering related to a plot of land in Ranchi. The court's decision reflected doubts about his culpability in the case.