Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday re-inducted Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren into his cabinet, four months after he was forced to quit for his alleged involvement in a murder case.

Soren was sworn in at a simple ceremony at the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, attended by leaders of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Soren, who resigned as coal minister in July after an arrest warrant was issued against him in a 10-year-old mass murder case, has been demanding his portfolio back after a court in Jharkhand freed him on bail.

Official sources said Soren would return to his coal ministry, although a formal announcement would come only later Saturday.

Saturday's development will also result in Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) leader K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who has been a cabinet minister without portfolio since Manmohan Singh took power in May, getting the charge of the labour ministry.

Rao would replace incumbent Sis Ram Ola. There is no official word on Ola's future.

Rao has been making threatening noises with his demand for a separate state of Telangana by breaking up Andhra Pradesh.

A major cabinet reshuffle is expected after parliament's winter session gets over in December.

The return of Soren to the Congress-led central government assumes significance as his home state Jharkhand prepares for assembly elections early next year.

The Congress party is expected to fight the elections in alliance with JMM to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

--Indo-Asian News Service