Bhajan Lal takes oath as Rajasthan CM, Diya and Bairwa as deputy CMs

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president J P Nadda, Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Kailash Choudhary, MP and BJP state president C P Joshi, MP and BJP’s Rajasthan incharge Arun Singh, Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Tripura CM Manik Saha, deputy CM of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya, deputy CM of Nagaland Yanthungo Patton, as well as former Rajasthan CMs Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje were also present.

While PM Modi, Governor Mishra, the CM and two deputy CMs sat on the central stage, the Union Ministers, CMs of other states, etc. sat on the third stage, to the left of the central stage. Before the proceedings began, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat sat between Gehlot and Raje for some time and the three could be seen indulging in banter and laughs. The three are considered each other’s rivals, with Gehlot and Shekhawat even battling it out in the courts where Gehlot faces a defamation case by Shekhawat.

Outgoing Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot with Gajendra Singh Shekhawatand former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Tripura CM Manik Saha during the swearing-in ceremony at Albert Hall. (Express photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

Scores of MLAs, thousands of party workers, RSS leaders and functionaries were also present on the occasion. As many as 57 religious leaders also attended the ceremony to “give their blessings,” and were seated on the first stage.

Incidentally, Sharma’s elevation as CM coincided with his birthday; he turned 57 on Friday. Before the ceremony, Sharma prayed at Govind Dev Ji temple, did gau seva (cow service), paid obeisance at the feet of katha vachak Mridul Krishan Shastri and took his blessings, and paid obeisance and washed the feet of his parents and also took their blessings.

Titular Maharaja of Jaipur Padmanabh Singh, Lakshraj Singh and Gauravi Kumari- children of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, during the swearing-in ceremony. (Express photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

After the ceremony, the CM and deputy CMs assumed charge, with CM Sharma also praying at the Ganesh temple in the secretariat which houses the CM’s office. Three IAS officers were also appointed in the CMO, with T Ravikanth being appointed as Principal Secretary, Anandhi as Secretary and Saumya Jha as Joint Secretary.

Meanwhile, Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said that Kumari and Bairwa took oath as deputy CMs whereas Article 163 and 164 of the Indian Constitution do not mention any such post. Party said that for the same reasons in 2018, Congress leader Sachin Pilot had taken oath as a minister, not as a deputy CM. As per an announcement in the ceremony after Pilot’s oath, the Governor declared Pilot as a deputy CM “on the CM’s recommendation.”