The Hindu : Front Page : Arjun Munda sworn in Jharkhand Chief Minister

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Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Arjun Munda sworn in Jharkhand Chief Minister

By D.P. Sharan and Agencies

RANCHI, MARCH 12. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Arjun Munda, was today sworn in Chief Minister of Jharkhand by the Governor, Syed Sibtey Razi, here. Along with him five Independents took oath as Ministers.

They are Sudesh Kumar Mahato and Chandra Prakash Choudhary of the All-Jharkhand Students Union, Enos Ekka of the Jharkhand Party, Madhu Kora and Harinarayan Roy (Independents).

Kamlesh Kumar Singh of the Nationalist Congress Party, whose name was included in the list of Ministers to be sworn in, did not take oath and was reported to be in hospital. He was a Minister in the erstwhile Shibu Soren Cabinet.

The five Independent MLAs have played a key role in installing the Munda Government by refusing to support the 10-day-old Soren Government. Mr. Soren quit as Chief Minister on Friday following his failure to face the floor test in the Assembly advanced by the Supreme Court.

The former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP president, L.K. Advani, former Union Ministers, George Fernandes and Ravishankar Prasad, were present on the occasion. Before the swearing-in, Mr. Munda took the `blessings' of Mr. Advani.

``Second victory''

Mr. Advani said the invitation to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form the Government was the ``second victory'' for the alliance in the State and gave credit for this to the media. ``It is our second victory. The first was given by the voters. In the second, the media had a role... It highlighted the facts before the nation," Mr. Advani said.

Talking to newspersons at the Raipur airport later on his way to Mangalore, Mr. Advani said the issues against the Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, and the Jharkhand Governor had "ended" with the installation of an NDA Government.

Mr. Munda's Cabinet tonight announced that the floor test for the new Government would be held on March 14, and recommended the name of the senior BJP leader, Karia Munda, as pro tem Speaker. The Governor had given the Government time till March 21 for seeking the trust vote.

Balmuchu resigns

The pro tem Speaker, Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu, tendered his resignation today. Mr. Balmuchu told The Hindu that he had resigned on personal grounds. He adjourned the House yesterday till March 15 following the objection raised by the Treasury benches over his powers to hold a vote of confidence.

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