Ranchi, Sept. 2: Six days after his swearing-in, Shibu Soren today took the first definitive step to begin work as chief minister by allocating portfolios to his council of ministers, but Opposition parties decided to make life difficult for him by gunning for Speaker Alamgir Alam for his handling of the defection cases against several MLAs.

Leader of Opposition Arjun Munda, accompanied by BJP state president P.N. Singh and other senior leaders, would be leaving for New Delhi tomorrow to seek legal opinion before approaching the Supreme Court for its intervention.

The Speaker’s decision to suspend voting rights of two “rebel” BJP members during Soren’s vote of confidence caused a furore in the Assembly. Later, he announced that the legislators in question had been given 10 days time to reply.

“Everything is recorded in the Assembly proceedings. We have learnt that only Vishnu Bhaiya and Manohar Tekriwal have been given 10 days time. Other legislators have been spared. The Speaker’s action is aimed at ensuring a smooth passage for the Shibu Soren government,” alleged Munda.

In Delhi, the Opposition leaders were expected to consult senior advocate and BJP leader Arun Jaitley. Thereafter, they would seek the advice of other legal experts too.

The JD (U) has also agreed to extend support to the mission, which would be followed, they said, by a mass campaign against the Speaker. “We have agreed to fight together. We cannot remain spectators to the murder of democracy,” said party chief Jaleshwar Mahto. Soren, who spent the morning in his office, chose to ignore the Opposition’s move while announcing the portfolios of ministers — all have retained departments they held during predecessor Koda’s tenure (see chart).

Among the departments Soren decided to look after himself were personnel, home and mines. Stephen Marandi and Sudhir Mahto remain deputy chief ministers.

Forward Bloc’s Aparna Sengupta, the new face among the ministers, has been given science and technology and drinking water and sanitation departments, earlier held by Chandra Prakash Choudhary who refused to support him.