Jharkhand's cabinet expansion, originally slated for Thursday, faces a delay to February 16 as Chief Minister Champai Soren navigates around Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam announced on Wednesday that Chief Minister Champai Soren's cabinet expansion, originally set for Thursday at Raj Bhavan, will now take place on February 16 at 3 pm. The delay is attributed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, spanning two days in the state from February 14.
Champai Soren assumed the chief minister's office on February 1, officially sworn in on February 2. On the same day, ministers Alamgir Alam (Congress) and Satyanand Bhokta (RJD) also took their oaths.
Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers, including the chief minister, under constitutional provisions. The previous government led by Hemant Soren left one ministerial position vacant.
As for the selection of potential candidates for the council of ministers, Alam mentioned that Congress has not finalized its decision. He stated, "I can’t tell about the JMM whether it has selected their candidates." However, a JMM source hinted at the possibility of retaining most ministers from the previous Hemant Soren cabinet, with one or two potential changes.