Bhopal, December 17 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, who steered his party to victory in Madhya Pradesh, was on Monday sworn in as its 18th Chief Minister, bringing to an end 15 years of BJP rule in the state which had become the saffron party's stronghold.
The nine-time MP and former union Minister was administeredthe oath of office and secrecy by Governor Anandiben Patel at a function heldat the Jambori Maidan on a day the Delhi High Court convicted Congress leaderSajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, triggering demands that Kamal Nathshould not be made Chief Minister.
The 72-year-old Kamal Nath, who represented Chhindwara fornine terms in the Lok Sabha, was the only one to take the oath even as theother contender to the Chief Minister's post, Jyotiraditya Scindia, waspresent. The ceremony was held an hour behind schedule at 2.30 p.m.
The brief ceremony was attended by Congress President RahulGandhi, former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda, outgoingChief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, another former BJP Chief Minister BabulalGaur and a galaxy of national leaders in a show of opposition unity ahead ofthe 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Among the opposition stalwarts present were NCP leadersSharad Pawar and Praful Patel, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. ChandrababuNaidu and his Karnataka counterpart H.D. Kumaraswamy, RJD leader TejashwiYadav, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi,JMM chief Hemant Soren, DMK leaders M.K. Stalin, T.R. Balu and Kanimozhi,Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Shard Yadav and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatanaleader and MP Raju Shetti.
Congress leaders who were present included Rajasthan ChiefMinister Ashok Gehlot, his deputy Sachin Pilot, Leader of Congress in Lok SabhaMallikarjun Kharge, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh,Puducherry Chief Minster V. Narayanaswamy, former Karnataka Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah, Karnataka Minister D.K, Shivakumar, Punjab Minister Navjot SinghSidhu, UP Congress President Raj Babbar and former Haryana Chief MinisterBhupinder Singh Hooda
BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav,whose parties have extended support to the Congress government, wereconspicuous by their absence.
Earlier, Kamal Nath told the media that he had invited WestBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally but she expressed herinability because she was occupied with the rituals in connection with hermother's death anniversary.
Before the ceremony started, Kamal Nath greeted the leaderson the stage and held Shivraj Singh Chouhan's hand and greeted the people inwhich Scindia also joined. The scenes were lapped up by the hundreds ofCongress activists and supporters gathered there.
Representatives of various religions including saffron-cladsaints were present at the function. Among them was the 'computer' baba who wasoffered a Minister of State status by the Chouhan government.
