Hemant Soren, the leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), will take oath as the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand in a grand swearing-in ceremony at Morabadi Maidan in Ranchi on Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be attended by several prominent leaders from the INDIA alliance, including Congress’ Rahul Gandhi & Mallikarjun Kharge,  and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal.

In a statement on ‘X’ ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Soren said, “Today will be a historic day – a day that will further strengthen our collective struggle, the spirit of love and brotherhood and the commitment of us Jharkhandis towards justice.”

Soren paid tributes to Jharkhand’s legacy of resistance and struggle, honouring the contributions of historical figures like Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Bhagwan Sido-Kanhu, Amar Shaheed Telanga Kharia, Phulo-Jhano, Poto Ho, and Sheikh Bhikhari. He emphasised that his government would continue to carry forward this legacy.

“Today is not about political victory, today is the day to reiterate our struggle for social justice, the daily battle to strengthen social unity. Today also tells us that the great people of Jharkhand are standing together amidst the increasing pressure on democracy. Today, a voice is resonating in every village, every city – rights, equality, unity means the voice of ‘Jharkhandiyat’,” Soren wrote.

In the lead-up to the swearing-in ceremony, Soren met with several key leaders of the INDIA alliance in New Delhi on November 26. He invited Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to the event.

He also met Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his wife Sunita Kejriwal, extending a formal invitation to them. Additionally, Soren met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited him to attend the event.

The swearing-in ceremony follows JMM’s decisive victory in the recently concluded Jharkhand Assembly elections. The JMM secured 34 seats, while its allies Congress and RJD won 16 and four seats, respectively, in the 82-member Assembly (81 elected and one nominated).

The BJP, on the other hand, managed to win only 21 seats, while its allies, AJSU Party and LJP (Ram Vilas), won one seat each. A day after the election results, Soren met Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar and submitted a letter of support from the INDIA alliance MLAs, formally staking his claim to form the government.