Ranchi, Dec. 28: Raghubar Das took oath as Jharkhand's 10th chief minister, the first non-tribal and the first to head a majority government in the state, along with four other ministers at a simple ceremony at Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Morabadi with around 10,000 people in attendance.

With fog disrupting flight schedules in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi and BJP president Amit Shah couldn't come, but a host of senior leaders, including two chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, were there to witness the simple, 20-minute-long ceremony.

The ministers who took oath included five-time MLA C.P. Singh (BJP, Ranchi), debutante Louise Marandi (BJP, Dumka) who defeated none other than former chief minister Hemant Soren, Neelkanth Singh Munda (BJP, Khunti) and Ajsu Party legislature party leader Chandra Prakash Choudhary who won from Ramgarh.

Jharkhand governor Syed Ahmed administered the oath of office and secrecy to all of them.

Among those present at Morabadi stadium, a stone's throw from the official residence of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, were former chief minister Hemant Soren, BJP leader Arjun Munda, JVM (P) chief Babulal Marandi, Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Upendra Kushwaha, Ramkripal Yadav, Radhamohan Singh, Sudarshan Bhagat, former Union minister Karia Munda, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadanvis, BJP's Jharkhand in-charge and former Uttarakhand minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Ajsu party chief Sudesh Mahto, Koderma MP and state BJP president Ravindra Kumar Rai, Chatra MP Sunil Kumar Singh, former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, Palamau MP and former Jharkhand DGP V.D. Ram, Godda MP Nishikant Dubey and Giridih BJP MP Ravindra Kumar Pandey.

Das's election as BJP legislator party leader was made somewhat easier by the shock defeat of Arjun Munda from Kharsawan constituency, who would have otherwise been a strong contender for the state's top post.

With Munda out of the way, Messrs Narendra Modi and Amit Shah seemed to veer towards Das naturally, zeroing in on the 'clean and able' leader to reinforce their claims of staying focused on an agenda of development.

That Das becomes Jharkhand's first non-tribal chief minister also helps the party to chart a new course, steering clear from the tribal versus non-tribal debate that had hitherto dominated the state's discourse.

Soon after the ceremony, Das's entourage proceeded towards Karamtoli chowk where he took part in a cleanliness drive. I want to make Ranchi a better city and bring all round development of the state,' he told reporters before moving on to Birsa Chowk to garland the statue of tribal icon Birsa Munda.

Then he went to his party headquarters in Harmu and a Shani temple in the Upper bazaar area.

'I extend my heartfelt thanks to the state populace which has given a mandate in favour of the BJP. We will try our best to fulfil their expectations,' Das said.

At the stadium venue, all the top leaders were seated in left and right flanks of the main dais. But, Marandi was in the media gallery which was a talking matter for all and sundry.

Reports in section of the media claimed the JVM chief met BJP president Shah yesterday in Delhi to push for a post-poll alliance. But Bhupendra Yadav, the BJP co-in-charge (elections), denied any such meeting took place.

'Nothing like that happened,' he told The Telegraph in Delhi.

Nevertheless, speculation is rife that Marandi joining the alliance with 8 MLAs, would help the BJP to neutralise the bargaining power of Ajsu Party that has 5 MLAs.

So far, BJP sources in Delhi would confirm that right after the election results were announced, the JVM sent feelers to Shah about its inclination to join the government. In return, it wanted a ministerial berth or two, while Marandi himself sought a Rajya Sabha ticket.

At Morabadi, the mood was that of bonhomie. Hemant hugged incumbent chief minister Das, while the visitors lauded the BJP's electoral success.

' Kendra aur rajya ki sarkar mil kar Jharkhand ka vikas karegi (The Centre and state governments will together bring development in Jharkhand),' Venkaiah Naidu said.

Das's Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh said, ' Bahut achcha awasar. Aane wala panch saal Jharkhand ke vikas ka hoga. Poore Chhattisgarh ki janta ki taraf se subhkamnayein (This is an opportune moment. The next five years will be for the development of Jharkhand. I congratulate the state on behalf of the people of Chhattisgarh).'

Asked when portfolios would be distributed and a cabinet expansion held, BJP's Jharkhand in-charge T. S. Rawat said it was the chief minister's prerogative.

'The new chief minister will decide when to expand his cabinet and distribute portfolios,' he said without specifying a timeline.

Assembly session

At its maiden cabinet meeting on Sunday, the Raghubar Das government resolved to hold a session of the Assembly for four working days between January 6 and 9. Das said governor Syed Ahmed had not yet set any deadline for his government to prove a majority in the House, but he was fully prepared to win the trust motion.

Former deputy chief minister and JMM MLA from Maheshpur Stephen Marandi, the senior-most member of the House, was named protem Speaker.