NEW DELHI: Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Baghel were on Monday sworn in as new Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The occasions were marked by opposition bonhomie with prominent opposition leaders sharing stage with Congress President Rahul Gandhi. It was a Karnataka-like show of strength by the Congress party in which a galaxy of national leaders and regional satraps participated to send a strong signal to the Modi government ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections early next year.

Among the opposition stalwarts present were NCP leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Karnataka counterpart H.D. Kumaraswamy, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, JMM chief Hemant Soren, DMK leaders M.K. Stalin, T.R. Balu and Kanimozhi, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Shard Yadav and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and MP Raju Shetti. The Trinamool Congress was represented by former Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi. Jharkhand Vikas Morcha chief Babulal Marandi was also among those present.

BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, whose parties have extended support to the Congress government, were conspicuous by their absence. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also did not participate.

The Congress had invited leaders from across the political spectrum.



Banerjee, who had earlier floated the idea of a federal front of regional parties, has been seen recently exchanging bonhomie with Naidu, and her counterparts from Delhi and Telangana, Arvind Kejriwal and Chandrashekar Rao respectively, apart from DMK president M K Stalin. But, the same warmth has not been seen for the Congress.

In West Bengal, the state Congress leadership, too, has been vocal against the TMC for not giving credit to Gandhi for the massive victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. The Congress had last week asked if Trinamool leaders were having "sleepless nights" fearing that their dream of Banerjee becoming the prime minister might not fulfilled.

Mayawati, who is known for keeping her cards close to her chest, though supported the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan but had dumped the grand old party and went solo in MP assembly elections, and in Chhattisgarh joined hands with a front led by Congress rebel Ajit Jogi.

In October, Mayawati accused the Congress of trying to "finish" the BSP, saying the grand old party is more interested in ending destroying her party than dislodging the BJP. The Congress is long hoping to stitch an anti-BJP front for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to out the saffron party from the power.

Also, Akhilesh Yadav had last month slammed the Congress saying the SP didn't accept a Congress offer for an alliance in Madhya Pradesh assembly polls because the Rahul Gandhi-led party was not ready to include the BSP in the proposed coalition.

"The Congress doesn't give us any importance. That party was ready to allot seats to SP in Madhya Pradesh elections. However, we told them that the election is going to be a big battle and we need to include the BSP in the alliance, but the Congress was not ready. So, our alliance could not materialise," he had said.

(With inputs from agencies)