At swearing-in of Cong CMS, Oppn to display unity

JAIPUR/BHOPAL/RAIPUR:FOR the second time in two days, several top Opposition leaders will showcase their unity as they attend the swearing-in of three Congress leaders as chief ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Monday. While Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot will take oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, respectively, in Jaipur at 10am, Kamal Nath will be sworn in as Madhya Pradesh CM in Bhopal at 1.30pm. Bhupesh Baghel will take oath as Chhattisgarh CM in Raipur at 5pm.

Besides Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, several other senior party leaders will attend the three event, a Congress spokesperson said.

A host of Opposition leaders including Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his Karnataka counterpart HD Kumaraswamy, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, All India Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi, Janata Dal (Secular) president HD Deve Gowda, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Loktantrik Janata Dal chief Sharad Yadav, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president MK Stalin and leader Kanimozhi will attend the events in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, a Rajasthan Congress leader, familiar with the development, said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejashwi Yadav, JMM’S Hemant Soren, RLD’S Jayant Chaudhary, HAM’S Jitan Ram Manjhi, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik)’s Babulal Marandi, Indian Union Muslim League’s PK Kunhalikutty, All India United Democratic Front’s Badruddin Ajmal, Swabhimani Paksha’s Raju Shetti and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party’s Upendra Kushwaha will also be in attendance, the Congress leader added.

Gehlot had earlier written let- ters to the Opposition leaders inviting them to the event. “Assembly election is not just a victory for the Congress party but is also a victory of progressive politics, a victory for those who uphold the constitution of India and believe in the nation’s diversity and plurality,” Gehlot had written.

From Jaipur, the leaders will proceed to Bhopal to attend the event there.

Sonia, BSP supremo Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav won’t be attending the events .

“Congress is not projecting the win in Rajasthan as its own but using this as an opportunity to show the country a united face of opposition. It started from Karnataka; Congress wants to strengthen this unity before the Lok Sabha elections,” said political analyst Narayan Bareth. BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek, however, said, “Congress knows that it is not capable to compete with BJP so is seeking support of other parties considering the next year’s Lok Sabha polls.”