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Marandi expands cabinet: PTI

The oath of office and secrecy was administered to the ministers by Governor Prabhat Kumar at a simple function at the Raj Bhavan lawns in Ranchi in the afternoon.

The ministers who took oath were all non-Bharatiya Janata Party members of the National Democratic Alliance.

The new cabinet ministers are Sudesh Mahato and Joba Manjhi of the United Gomantak Democratic Party, Ramchandra Keshri and Madhu Singh of the Samata Party, Samresh Singh (Independent) and Lalchand Mahato of the Janata Dal (U).

The new state ministers are Bachcha Singh, Ramesh Singh Munda and Jaleshwar Mahato (all of the Samata Party) and Baidyanath Ram of the JD-U.

The induction was part of the NDA's strategy to retain support.

The chief minister told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony that the next expansion will take place after the confidence vote in the Jharkhand assembly, whose first session will start on Monday.

With this expansion, all non-BJP legislators of the NDA, except Inder Singh Namdhari of the JD-U, who is tipped to be the first Speaker of the assembly, have become ministers.

Confusion prevailed at the swearing-in venue at Raj Bhavan as a number of journalists and press photographers were not issued passes for coverage and barred entry to the premises.

Journalists denied entry protested outside the Raj Bhavan, shouting anti-administration slogans.

After the swearing-in, when informed about the issue, the chief minister promised that the guilty officials would be punished.

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