<p><strong>Jharkhand Cabinet:</strong> Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday allocated portfolios among the newly appointed ministers in his government, consolidating his coalition’s position following a decisive electoral victory. Soren retained key departments, including Home, Personnel, Administrative Reforms, Road Construction, and Building Construction, while allotting significant portfolios to Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislators. </p>
<p>The new cabinet comprises 12 members, including the Chief Minister, with seven from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), four from Congress, and one from the RJD. The JMM, which secured 34 of the 43 seats it contested, holds seven ministerial positions, while Congress, with 16 seats, has four berths. The RJD, which won four out of six seats it contested, secured one position. <br /><img style=”display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;” src=”https://feeds.abplive.com/onecms/images/uploaded-images/2024/12/06/5cd94559dc44c4f56470f53e9890342e1733474975489124_original.jpg” /></p>
<p>Radhakrishna Kishore, a Congress MLA, was given charge of Finance, Commercial Tax, Planning and Development, and Parliamentary Affairs, assuming responsibility for the state’s fiscal and legislative matters. </p>
<p>Deepak Biruwa of the JMM was assigned Revenue, Registration and Land Reforms (non-registration), and Transport portfolios. Chamra Linda, also from the JMM, received charge of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and Backward Classes (excluding Minority Welfare). </p>
<p>Sanjay Prasad Yadav of the RJD was allotted Industries, Labour, and Planning, Training, and Skill Development, while Congress MLA Irfan Ansari was entrusted with Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, and Disaster Management. </p>
<p>Other key allocations include: </p>
<ul>
<li>Ramdas Soren (JMM): School Education and Literacy, and Registration. </li>
<li>Hafizul Hasan (JMM): Water Resources and Minority Welfare. </li>
<li>Deepika Pandey Singh (Congress): Panchayati Raj, Rural Works, and Rural Development. </li>
<li>Yogendra Prasad (JMM): Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Excise and Prohibition. </li>
<li>Sudivya Kumar (JMM): Urban Development and Housing, Higher and Technical Education, Tourism, Art, Culture, Sports, and Youth Affairs. </li>
<li>Shilpi Neha Tirkey (Congress): Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Cooperatives. </li>
</ul>
<h3><strong> Jharkhand Cabinet Expansion: Congress Letter Leak Prompts Changes </strong></h3>
<p>According to news agency PTI, sources revealed that a letter from AICC general secretary KC Venugopal to Chief Minister Soren, detailing Congress MLAs’ desired portfolios, was leaked on social media. The letter reportedly requested Health for Deepika Pandey Singh, Rural Development for Irfan Ansari, Agriculture and Disaster Management for Shilpi Neha Tirkey, and Finance and Planning for Radhakrishna Kishore. </p>
<p>The leak forced alterations to the portfolio allocation, and Congress leaders have reportedly demanded an internal inquiry to identify the source of the breach. Government officials have refrained from commenting on the matter. </p>
<p>The JMM-led coalition stormed to power, securing 56 of the 81 assembly seats, with the JMM delivering its best-ever performance by winning 34 seats. The Congress won 16, while the RJD, a surprise performer, bagged four out of six contested seats. </p>
<p>The BJP, which contested 68 seats, managed to win 21 and emerged as the second-largest party. </p>
<p>Hemant Soren, also the JMM executive president, was sworn in as Chief Minister on 28 November. The coalition’s victory marks its second consecutive term in power, defeating the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). </p>