RANCHI : Hemant Soren, who has sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand on Thursday, has won the trust vote with 45 MLAs voting in his favour in the 75-member Jharkhand Assembly. BJP and AJSU legislators walked out of the House as headcount for voting started. The BJP-led opposition has 24 legislators of the saffron party and three of the AJSU Party.

The ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance had handed over a support list of 44 MLAs to the Governor when Hemant Soren staked his claim to form the government on July 3. The Cabinet expansion will take place on Monday, sources said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Champai Soren, who had replaced Hemant Soren after the arrest of Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31, resigned from his post, following which JMM Executive President Hemant Soren staked his claim to form the government.

Later on Thursday afternoon, Governor CP Radhakrishnan called Hemant Soren at the Raj Bhawan, appointed him as Chief Minister-designate and invited him to take oath.

Champai Soren’s resignation came after a meeting of INDIA Bloc MLAs called at the official residence of the Chief Minister in Ranchi on Wednesday where a consensus was reached over the change of guard in the state. Later, Hemant Soren was elected the leader of the legislative party of the INDIA-Bloc.

Notably, Hemant Soren was released from jail after being granted bail from the Jharkhand High Court in land scam case on June 28.

Soren was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on June 28, after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged land scam case on January 31. He had resigned on January 31 before his arrest, leading to Champai Soren being sworn in as a temporary Chief Minister on February 2.