Jharkhand Congress legislators camping in Delhi to claim portfolio in Soren’s cabinet

New Delhi/Ranchi: Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday met senior Congress leaders in New Delhi to discuss the distribution of ministerial portfolios in the coalition government and as per the discussion of the alliance Jharkhand is likely to see more new faces in the cabinet’

As per sources close to the CM, Congress winning 16 seats in the recent elections, discussions revolved around the number of portfolios the party will secure and the names of its potential ministers in Hemant’s cabinet.

A senior leader and MLA of the JMM said that Pakur MLA Nishat Alam has emerged as a frontrunner for a ministerial position, possibly sidelining Jamtara MLA Dr. Irfan Ansari, who has faced opposition from a faction within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

He had that many have raised concerns over Ansari’s controversial statements during the last regime, which have previously caused friction within the alliance.

The MLA added that lobbying is underway to retain former ministers such as Deepika Pandey and Dr. Rameshwar Oraon, while younger Congress leaders like Pradeep Yadav, Anup Singh, Radhakrishna Kishore, Mamta Devi, Naman Viksal Kongari, Rajesh Kachhap, Shilpi Neha Tirkey, and Bhushan Bara are also vying for positions.

Congress legislators are camping in New Delhi to strengthen their claims for cabinet positions. Apart from Nishat Alam, Shweta Singh, and Rameshwar Oraon, most newly elected Congress MLAs have met senior leaders, including Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, to advocate for their inclusion.

A senior Congress leader said that the senior Congress leaders have yet to finalised the names yet.

Within the JMM, MT Raja is being considered as a replacement for Hafizul Hasan under the minority quota. Other likely candidates include Deepak Birua and Ramdas Soren from Kolhan, Mathura Mahato and Sudivya Kumar Sonu from Koyalanchal, and Louis Marandi or Hafizul Hasan from Santhal. The party is also weighing options for the Chief Whip post, with Hemlal and Stephen emerging as the key contenders.

Leaders from both Congress and JMM said that final decisions awaits approval from party leaderships, the coalition government appears poised for a reshuffle that could bring a mix of experienced and new leaders into the cabinet.