Two days after taking oath as the sixth chief minister of Jharkhand and fourth during the present Assembly tenure, Shibu Soren today won the floor test comfortably with two legislators barred from voting and an equal number of abstentions from the Assembly.
After a marathon seven-hour debate, Soren, a Lok Sabha member, assured the House that he had the 'will power' to take the state to new heights.
"Will power can propel the state to new heights. We can show others how Jharkhand is put on the fast track of development," Soren said, replying to the debate on the motion.
Addressing legislators from both sides, Soren, who took over as chief minister for a second time, said his main task was to reduce poverty in a state where 50 per cent of the population resides below the poverty line.
"I have been hearing several statements from several leaders over the years, but nothing has happened. Instead of bickering among ourselves we can solve the problem through our united efforts," Soren said.
Sharing his experiences during the last 40 years of his struggle, Soren said many people thought Jharkhand's creation was just a dream 'but I was confident of a separate state and we got it.'
"If I can create Jharkhand, I can also put Jharkhand on the development path," said the tribal leader, adding he would take along all sections of the society in his endeavour to make a strong Jharkhand.
