NEW DELHI, 3 March 2005 — Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren was yesterday sworn in Jhrkhand’s new chief minister of a United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government amid fierce protests and doubts whether he enjoyed majority support.
Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi administered the oath of office to Soren, 61, in fulfillment of a dream that the JMM leader had nursed for most of his checkered political career.
“The governor, under Section 164(1) of the constitution appointed Shibu Soren as the chief minister,” a Raj Bhawan communiqué said. He has been given 20 days till March 21 to prove his majority in the 81-member legislature.
Earlier in the day, Soren had submitted a list of 42 legislators to the governor. Soren, who was closeted with the governor for an hour this morning, claimed, “We have submitted a list of 42 MLAs and have staked claim to form the government.”
Scores of supporters and media personnel crowded the governor’s official residence Raj Bhavan when the ceremony took place.
Rebel JMM leader Stephen Marandi, who had defeated Soren’s son, was sworn in as deputy chief minister. Besides Soren and Marandi, five other ministers were also sworn in — Girinath Singh and Annapurna Devi (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Bandhu Tirkey and Jobha Manjhi (UGDP) and independent Kamlesh Kumar Singh.
Soren quits as coal minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet to take up this post three days after a fractured verdict threw up no clear winners in Jharkhand.
The governor’s decision to invite the UPA to form a government sent shockwaves in Jharkhand as well as New Delhi, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) insisted it had the required support of 41 legislators to stake a claim to power.
Accusing the Congress party of abusing democracy, BJP general secretary and spokesman Arun Jaitley said: “This is a constitutional outrage, the like of which has been seen only during the days of emergency.”
The BJP, which earlier had stalled Parliament in New Delhi to protest Razi’s “partisan” attempts to install a UPA government, alleged that Razi had given Soren enough time to “buy” legislative support.
“The prime minister and the Congress leadership are active participants in the conspiracy with the Governor to commit this constitutional crime. It is a political act of a political governor,” Jaitley said.
Troubled by the NDA disturbing the parliamentary proceedings for the second day consecutively, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said it is a “very sad day for Indian democracy.” On Monday, the Parliament was rocked by opposition questioning developments in Goa. Asserting that this “cannot go on every day,” the speaker bluntly told the opposition members: “The entire country is watching you. This will not do you any good.”
Fierce BJP protests took place outside the governor’s residence. Protesters burned effigies of Razi and shouted slogans against him.
The party had announced an indefinite shutdown in the tribal-dominated state to protest the decision.
Shops downed shutters and people retreated indoors as furious BJP supporters went on the rampage. At some places, rival groups clashed.
The NDA has also decided to move the Supreme Court against Jharkhand governor’s action to install Soren as the chief minister.
“The governor’s action was totally unconstitutional and the BJP was planning to take legal recourse,” senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said.
However, jubilant JMM supporters launched celebrations across the capital, burst crackers and waved party flags to mark the coronation of their leader.
