Congress takes reins in three Hindi heartland states of MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh

Background

CM Oath Ceremony in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh Live Updates: The swearing-in ceremony of Congress' newly elected leaders Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan Chief Minister, Kamal Nath as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Bhupesh Baghel as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, will take place today. In the recently-concluded Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on December 11, the Congress dealt a massive blow to the BJP by ousting its governments in the three 'Hindi heartland' states. As per the report, Gehlot will be sworn-in as CM in Jaipur at historic Albert Hall in the morning at 10 am, while Kamal Nath will take the oath in MP's capital Bhopal around 1:30 pm followed by Baghel in Chhattisgarh's Raipur at 4:30 pm.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend all the three oath ceremonies. The swearing-in ceremonies in the three states are being seen as another opportunity to present a united opposition front against the ruling BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections who lost power to the Congress in the three states in the Hindi heartland.

Several senior Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers will attend the events. Besides, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, a phalanx of opposition leaders including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, DMK president MK Stalin, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and NCP president Sharad Pawar are expected to attend all the three oath-taking ceremonies.

The Congress has also extended an invitation to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as well to attend the ceremonies, signalling a possible thaw in ties. The swearing-in ceremony of Rajasthan Chief Minister-designate Ashok Gehlot and deputy Chief Minister-designate Sachin Pilot is scheduled to take place at Jaipur at 10am.  Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi and senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge are expected to attend the ceremony along with a host of other leaders from across the political spectrum.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister-designate Kamal Nath will take oath at the Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal at 1.30pm. The ceremony will be preceded by an all-religion prayer meeting.

Congress on Sunday named Bhupesh Baghel as the chief minister face of Chhattisgarh. Baghel will be sworn in on Monday at 4.30 pm, the ceremony will be held at Science College Ground in Raipur.The Congress party had registered a resounding victory in Chhattisgarh, winning 68 seats as opposed to the BJP's 15, in Rajasthan the Congress bagged 99 seats, and the BJP 73.

22:30 PM (IST)  •  17 Dec 2018

Three Congress chief ministers on Monday took oath of office in three previously BJP-ruled Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh with most of the opposition leaders present in the swearing-in ceremonies that also turned into a show of unity against the saffron party.

22:30 PM (IST)  •  17 Dec 2018

Why Mayawati, Mamata, Akhilesh skipped swearing-in ceremony of Congress CMs

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