Mamata Banerjee to attend Hemant Soren’s swearing-in ceremony following personal request

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Hemant Soren on November 28 in Ranchi after adjusting her schedule. Initially, Banerjee had informed Soren that she would be unable to attend due to prior commitments. However, after a personal call from Soren on Monday, Banerjee confirmed her participation. “I had told him earlier that I would not be able to attend, but after his request, I decided to change my schedule,” she said.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 3:30 PM on November 28 at Morabadi Ground, marking the beginning of Hemant Soren’s second consecutive term as Chief Minister of Jharkhand. His JMM-led alliance secured 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, surpassing the majority mark of 41. The JMM won 34 seats, Congress secured 16, RJD won 4, and CPI(ML) won 2 seats. The opposition alliance won despite a strong challenge from the BJP-led NDA, which won 24 seats. Following the election results, Hemant Soren met Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and staked his claim to form the new government, submitting a letter of support from the alliance partners.

Soren will be sworn in as the 14th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, having been re-elected as the leader of the JMM legislature party. The JMM’s victory in the 2024 state elections was significant, as it marked the party’s highest-ever seat count in the state’s history. The election results indicated the continued dominance of the JMM in Jharkhand, despite a multi-party contest.

Mamata Banerjee’s attendance at the ceremony is notable as she is an influential leader within the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties. Banerjee had earlier indicated that she would not attend due to her pre-scheduled engagements. However, following Soren’s call, she agreed to attend the event. Other leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, are also expected to attend the ceremony. Banerjee’s participation underscores the continued cooperation among opposition leaders.

Additionally, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee recently urged the Congress to recognize Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the INDIA bloc, stating that the Congress should set aside its differences for the unity of the opposition.