Hemant Soren to seek trust vote in Jharkhand Assembly on July 8

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who returned to power after being released on bail in a land scam, will seek a trust vote on July 8, which the ruling alliance is likely to win.

In Short

• Hemant Soren-led ruling alliance likely to win trust vote with 45 MLAs
• Cabinet expansion is expected after trust vote
• Soren returned to power on July 4 after spending 5 months in jail

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was sworn in on July 4, will seek a trust vote in the Assembly on July 8, the state cabinet decided on Saturday. Soren returned to power as he was released on bail in a land scam, after spending five months in jail since his arrest in January.

The ruling alliance, led by Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), is likely to comfortably win the trust vote as they currently have 45 MLAs -- JMM-27, Congress-17, and RJD-1-- in the 81-member assembly. The BJP-led Opposition has 30 members. The total strength of the house has also decreased after the Lok Sabha polls, reducing the half-way mark to 38.

Soon after the vote of confidence, Soren is likely to expand his cabinet.

Soren resigned on January 31 after his arrest in a money laundering case linked to a land scam, and senior JMM leader Champai Soren was appointed as the Chief Minister.

Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after the Jharkhand High Court granted him bail. Soon after, Champai Soren resigned from the post, and Hemant Soren staked a claim to form the government and return to power as the 13th Chief Minister.

The JMM or the alliance leaders have not commented officially on the expansion of Soren's council of ministers.

Soren became the Chief Minister for the first time in 2013, but was in power only for a year and five months as the BJP seized power. After the December 2019 assembly elections, with the support of his allies Congress and RJD, he was again at the top post but had to resign in January this year.