The 11-member Hemant Soren-led cabinet in Jharkhand which was expanded on Thursday hassix new faces
Jharkhand governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administered the oath of office to the 11 cabinet ministers who filled the quota of 12 cabinet slots (including the chief minister) along with Stephen Marandi of JMM as pro-tem Speaker.
As per the Supreme Court directive, only 15 per cent of members can be kept in the cabinet according to the number of MPs or MLAs. The total strength of the Jharkhand Assembly is 81 and based on the directive the number is 12 (including the chief minister).
The six new faces in the cabinet include a tribal leader who began his career as a student leader Chamra Linda (from Bishunpur), Sudivya Kumar Sonu (from Giridih), Yogendra Pratap (from Gomia) — all from the JMM — Shilpi Neha Tirkey (Mandar) and Radha Krishna Kishore (Chhatarpur) from the Congress and Sanjay Prasad Yadav (Godda) from the RJD.
As reported in The Telegraph, the 2019 formula of one ministerial berth for four MLAs was maintained with six cabinet slots going to the JMM, four to the Congress and one to the RJD with the CPIML not willing to be part of the government.
“Attempt has been made to make the cabinet a blend of energy and experience and all the five divisions of the state have been given representation. The cabinet allocation will take place on Thursday night and announced by the chief minister Hemant Soren,” said a senior Ranchi-based JMM leader considered close to Hemant Soren.
As expected, four MLAs from JMM stronghold — Santhal Pargana division — have been kept in the cabinet. They are Hafizul Ansari from Madhupur, Congress leaders Dr Irfan Ansari from Jamtara and Deepika Pandey Singh from Mahagama, and RJD state general secretary Sanjay Prasad Yadav from Godda.
Congress MLA Radha Krishna Kishore has been included from Palamu division along with Ramdas Soren (Ghatshila) and Deepak Birua (Chaibasa) from Kolhan.
Shilpi Neha Tirkey and Chamra Linda are from South Chotanagpur while Yogendra Prasad and Sudivya Kumar are from Koyalanchal.
Sanjay Prasad Yadav, a third-time MLA considered close to both RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, was included in the cabinet from the RJD.
Congress national general secretary K.C. Venugopal has communicated to Hemant Soren the approval of portfolio allocation for four of its ministers.
The list includes Radha Krishna Kishore for finance, food, public distribution and consumer affairs, Deepika Pandey Singh for health, Dr Irfan Ansari for rural development and Panchayati Raj, and Shilpi Neha Tirkey for agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperative and disaster management.
The second cabinet meeting of the Hemant Soren government will be held on Friday evening at Ranchi.