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Regular-article-logo Thursday, 25 April 2024

Hemant invites Sonia, Cong ‘wants 5 berths’

Hemant said the JMM-Congress-RJD 'coalition will provide a stable government that will last the full five-year term'

PTI & TT BUREAU Ranchi Published 26.12.19, 01:42 AM
CM-designate Hemant Soren flanked by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpathin New Delhi on Wednesday.

CM-designate Hemant Soren flanked by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpathin New Delhi on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Jharkhand chief minister-designate Hemant Soren on Wednesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi and invited them for the swearing-in ceremony scheduled in Ranchi on Sunday.

The JMM working president was also expected to meet Arvind Kejriwal and invite the Delhi chief minister.

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Those present during the brief meeting between Sonia and Hemant at 10 Janpath included senior Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal and R.P.N. Singh.

Asked about talks over government formation, Hemant said: “You should wait, that will happen.” Jharkhand Congress sources said the party wants five cabinet berths and the Speaker’s post.

In Delhi, Hemant said the JMM-Congress-RJD “coalition will provide a stable government that will last the full five-year term”.

Asked whether he would invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders, Hemant said: “When we were fighting elections I saw them as BJP, but now I see them as Prime Minister and home minister (Amit Shah).”

The JMM on Wednesday said Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu had invited Hemant to form the government. The governor’s invitation came a day after Hemant called on Murmu to stake claim to form government, submitting a letter of support of 50 MLAs to her.

The pre-poll Opposition combine bagged 47 seats (JMM 30, Congress 16 and RJD 1) in the 81-member Assembly, while the three-member JVM has extended “unconditional support” to Hemant.

FIR against Das

An FIR was registered on Wednesday against outgoing chief minister Raghubar Das at Mihijam police station in Jharkhand’s Jamtara district under the SC/ST Act on the written application of chief minister-designate Hemant Soren about Das’s alleged objectionable remarks about him (Hemant) at an election campaign meeting on December 18. Investigating officer, SDPO Arvind Kumar Upadhyay, confirmed the FIR.


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