Hemant Soren to expand Jharkhand cabinet on Friday

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren will expand his four-member cabinet on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, Soren called on Governor Droupadi Murmu at the Raj Bhavan.

"The cabinet will be expanded tomorrow at 1 pm at Birsa Mandap in the Raj Bhavan," an official told PTI.

JMM general secretary Suprio Bhattacharya confirmed the cabinet expansion. As per the constitutional provision, Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers, including the chief minister. The previous Raghubar Das government had left one berth vacant throughout its term.

Soren took oath as the 11th chief minister of Jharkhand on December 29 at the Morahbadi ground with a galaxy of leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in attendance. Along with Soren, three ministers- two from the Congress and one from the RJD also took oath that day.

The JMM-Congress-RJD had a pre-poll alliance and won 47 of 81 seats, dethroning the BJP in the November-December assembly elections.