Guv invites Soren to form govt

Ranchi: JMM leader Hemant Soren on Sunday met Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and staked claim to form the government, soon after leaders of the INDIA bloc in the state unanimously elected him as the legislature party leader.

He resigned as the Chief Minister, before staking claim to form the government. He will officiate as the acting chief minister till the oath is administered to him on November 28.

"I met the Governor. We staked claim to form the government and handed over support letter of alliance partners to him. He invited us to form the government. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on November 28," Soren told reporters after meeting Gangwar. Soren, who drove to the Raj Bhavan in his car, said the Governor asked him to officiate as the acting chief minister in the interim.

Soren will be sworn in as the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000. He will be sworn in as the Chief Minister for the fourth term.

Earlier, leaders and MLAs of the alliance, during a meeting at Hemant Soren's residence here, unanimously elected him as the coalition's leader. Congress's Jharkhand in-charge and party general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and senior party leader Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting, besides legislators of the coalition parties.

In a stunning comeback, Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance on Saturday stormed to power in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term.