Ranchi, Dec 5, 2024
The Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand has unveiled its new cabinet, reflecting a balance of experience and fresh faces. Among the 11 ministers, five are first-timers — Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Yogendra Mahato, Shilpi Neha Tirkey, Chamra Linda, and Sanjay Prasad Yadav.
At 66, Radha Jrishna Kishore, representing the Congress, is the cabinet’s oldest member. His legislative journey spans decades, having served as a minister in the Arjun Munda government. Over the years, he represented various parties, including the Congress, the JD-U, the BJP, and the AJSU, before reclaiming his seat on a Congress ticket in this year’s Assembly elections.
In contrast, Tirkey, the Congress MLA from Mandar, is the youngest Minister. The 33-year-old holds a postgraduate diploma in marketing communication from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and was previously in the corporate sector. She entered politics after her father, Bandhu Tirkey, lost his MLA post due to a court conviction.
Chaibasa’s JMM MLA, Deepak Birua, was sworn in as a Minister for the third time this year. His first ministerial role was in February in Champai Soren’s cabinet. Later, he was appointed as a Minister again in July in Hemant Soren’s (3.0) government. Birua has consistently secured the Chaibasa seat, winning four consecutive terms in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024. Following Champai Soren’s departure from the JMM to join the BJP, Birua has emerged as the most prominent face of the JMM in the Kolhan division.
JMM leader Linda, who has been elected as the MLA from the Bishunpur Assembly seat for the fourth consecutive time, has secured his first cabinet berth.
Linda began his political journey as a tribal student leader, serving as the president of the Jharkhand Adivasi Chhatra Sangh in 2003, where he gained recognition as a fiery leader during the domicile movement. In 2009, he was elected as the MLA from Bishunpur for the first time and has since maintained a stronghold on the constituency.
Earlier this year, during the Lok Sabha elections, Linda rebelled against the JMM and contested as an Independent candidate from the Lohardaga seat, leading to his suspension from the party. However, his suspension was revoked just before the Assembly elections, and he has now been rewarded with a ministerial position.
Sonu, elected as JMM MLA from Giridih for the second time, became Minister for the first time. He defeated BJP’s Nirbhay Shahabadi in the 2019 and 2024 elections. Earlier, he contested from this seat in 2009 and 2014, but was defeated. In his last term as an MLA, he was identified as the most vocal face of the JMM in the Assembly. He is considered a confidant of Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren.
Ghatsila MLA Ramdas Soren, a member of the Santhal tribe, has been appointed as a Minister for the second time. He first contested the Assembly elections in 2005 as an Independent candidate but was unsuccessful.
In 2009, he was elected as an MLA for the first time on a JMM ticket. However, he faced defeat in the 2014 elections. Soren made a strong comeback, winning consecutive terms in 2019 and 2024. He was first inducted as a Minister in Hemant Soren’s cabinet in July this year.
Sanjay Prasad Yadav, the sole Minister representing the RJD in the cabinet, has been elected from the Godda Assembly seat in this term. He previously served as the MLA from the same constituency in 2009.
However, he faced defeats in the 2005, 2014, and 2019 elections. Currently, Yadav holds the position of General Secretary of Jharkhand RJD and is known for his close association with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and party leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Dr Irfan Ansari, a three-time consecutive winner of the Jamtara Assembly seat as a Congress candidate (2014, 2019, and 2024), has been appointed a Minister for the second time. A prominent figure in Jharkhand politics, he is the son of former Godda MP Furkan Ansari, inheriting a rich political legacy. An MBBS graduate, Dr Ansari is not only known for his political acumen but also for frequently making headlines with his candid and often bold statements.
JMM MLA from Madhupur, Hafizul Hasan Ansari, has taken the oath as a Minister for the fourth time. Politics runs in his blood, as he has inherited a rich legacy from his father, Haji Hussain Ansari, who also represented the Madhupur constituency and served as a Minister in the Hemant Soren’s government.
Hafizul Hasan’s political journey began after the untimely demise of his father. He won the Madhupur by-election in 2021, securing his place in the Assembly for the first time. Even before being elected as an MLA, Chief Minister Hemant Soren recognised his potential and included him in the cabinet.
Mahagama Congress MLA Deepika Pandey Singh has been sworn in as a Minister for the second time within just five months. Hailing from a politically influential family, her father Arun Pandey and mother Pratibha Pandey were veteran Congress leaders in Ranchi. She is the daughter-in-law of Awadh Bihari Singh, a former Minister in the Bihar government. Deepika is widely regarded as one of Rahul Gandhi’s close confidantes.
Mahato, the JMM MLA from Gomia, has been inducted into the cabinet for the first time. Elected as an MLA for the first time in 2014 from the Gomia constituency, he began his political journey with the Congress before later joining the JMM. A resident of Murubhanda village in Ramgarh district, he previously served as the chairman of the State Backward Classes Commission.(Agency)
