Senior Congress Leader and two-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot on Monday took oath as Chief Minister of Rajasthan for the third time, while Congres State Chief Sachin Pilot took oath as his deputy.
The Congress in a bid to use the swearing-in ceremony as the opportunity to showcase the opposition unity has given invitations to all parties who can come in alliance in a run-up to the general elections 2019. But in a major setback to the Congress, prominent opposition faces Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav choose to skip the ceremonies in all three states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. Though these parties have sent their representatives to the ceremony.
Apart from these three leaders, majorly all leaders of its alliance partners were seen in the ceremony. While Other opposition leaders including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP Boss N Chandrababu Naidu, his Karnataka counterpart HD Kumaraswamy, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Loktantrik Janta Dal chief Sharad Yadav, RJD Tejashwi Yadav, RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha, MK Stalin and DMK leader Kanimozhi.
BJP Outgoing Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also attended the swearing Ceremony of Ashok Gehlot.
Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh administered the oath of office to Gehlot and Pilot in the presence of Congress National President Rahul Gandhi and Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
While, In Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Kamal Nath was sworn in the 18th chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Monday. Governor Anandiben administered the oath of Office to Kamal Nath.
Bhopal: Opposition leaders at the swearing-in ceremony of Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath. pic.twitter.com/kA2HnfXykD
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2018
Earlier on Thursday after hours of Deliberation Congress Picks nine-time Parliamentarian Nath as the Chief Minister of the state, where Congress is coming back to power after 15 years.
In recently concluded State Assembly Polls, the Congress secured 114 seats in the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections, falling two short of the majority in the 230-seat Assembly. However, help came in the form of both BSP and SP extending support. BSP Supremo Mayawati on Wednesday extends its support to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in a bid to keep BJP away from power. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav also extend its support to Congress. The two have 2 and 1 seat respectively in the Assembly.