Hemant Soren to take oath as Jharkhand CM on Sunday

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha working president Hemant Soren on Tuesday met Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu and staked claim to form government in the state.

Earlier in the day, he was formally elected as the JMM legislature party leader.

Soren, accompanied by leaders of his party, the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal -- which comprised the opposition alliance in the assembly polls -- called on the governor at Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the new government.

He will take oath as the chief minister on December 29 at 1 pm, JMM general secretary Suprio Bhattacharya, who accompanied Soren to Raj Bhavan, said.

Meanwhile, a Raj Bhavan communique said that a delegation comprising the JMM, Congress and the RJD met the governor and staked claim to form the new government under Soren's leadership.

"The delegation comprising JMM, Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal met the governor at Raj Bhavan and apprised the governor that the newly-elected MLAs have chosen Hemant Soren as their legislature party leader," the communique said.

It said that the delegation of the alliance partners staked claim to form the new government on the basis of the results announced following the assembly polls.

The letter handed to the governor said that the alliance has the support of fifty MLAs consisting of the JMM, Congress, RJD and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik-JVM-P), it said.

Earlier in the day, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik's president Babulal Marandi gave unconditional support to Soren in the formation of the new government.

The JVM-P has won three seats in the just concluded elections.

The pre-poll opposition combine had bagged 47 seats (JMM 30, Congress 16 and RJD 1) in the state's 81-member assembly.

RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav accompanied Hemant Soren to the Raj Bhavan and was seen standing next to him when the alliance head handed the list of 50 newly-elected MLAs to the governor.

Satyanand Bhokta is the only RJD candidate who won elections. He won from Chatra seat.

JMM president Shibu Soren, AICC in-charge R P N Singh, Jharkhand PCC president Rameshwar Oraon and several other MLAs and leaders were present at the Raj Bhavan.