PM Modi, others attend swearing-in of new BJP-led govt in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, June 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several dignitaries witnessed the grand swearing-in ceremony of the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha on Wednesday. 

The BJP managed to wrest power from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) following a grueling and intense poll campaign led by PM Modi himself.

PM Modi, during the campaign, had asserted that "June 4 was the expiry date of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha".

During his speeches at almost every public meeting, the prime minister used to extend an invitation to the people of Odisha to attend the oath taking ceremony on June 10 at Bhubaneswar.

PM Modi along with other senior leaders of the party toured extensively to every part of the state and addressed a number of public gatherings during the campaign.

On Wednesday, PM Modi, after reaching Bhubaneswar airport at around 2.10 p.m. went to the Raj Bhawan -- the residence of Odisha Governor.

Later, the Prime Minister reached the venue in a special carcade and attended the swearing-in ceremony as promised during the campaign.

Various cultural programmes were performed along the road from Raj Bhawan to Janata Maidan during the movement of PM Modi's convoy.

Similarly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan among others, were also present during the oath-taking ceremony.

Former Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik also attended the mega event.

Besides Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Uttaranchal CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tripura CM Manik Saha, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini and Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma also attended the swearing-in ceremony of new Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and his council of ministers on Wednesday.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also played a pivotal role in the election campaign of the BJP in Odisha.

More than 50,000 people witnessed the grand event at Janata Maidan.

--IANS

gyan/pgh