Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav during the latter's swearing-in ceremony, in Bhopal, Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
The newly elected Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and two Deputy Chief Ministers, Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla, were sworn in by Governor Mangu Bhai Patel in a simple but graceful ceremony at Motilal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, together with former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and 11 other CMs from different states and Union ministers, were prominent among those present to grace the occasion.
MP Governor Mangu Bhai Patel administered the oath first to the 19th Chief Minister Mohan Yadav of the state, followed by Deputy CMs Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla, respectively.
The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by interim Chief Secretary Veera Rana. According to information, Veera Rana is the first woman CS (second woman CS in the state after Nirmala Buch) to conduct swearing-in proceedings.
The swearing-in program was very short and was wrapped up in under 10 minutes. After the program, PM Modi, Shah, and JP Nadda flew to Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of CM-elect Vishnu Deo Sai there.
Earlier, Mohan Yadav visited the Hanuman temple and performed puja rituals. He told the group of reporters present there that he will take everyone on board and ensure good governance.
Elaborate arrangements were made to accommodate many VVIPs, seers, and sadhus on the stage. Two big-sized LEDs on either side of the center stage were put up in the background adorned with pictures of Modi, Shah, JP Nadda, and Mohan Yadav.
Conspicuously missing photos of senior state leaders, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP president VD Sharma, from the background frame/canvas were a matter of discussion among the large presence of media here.
On the left side, seers and sadhus (reportedly from Ujjain and other places), while on the right side, all the CMs of different states, Union ministers, and senior organizational office bearers were seated. The center stage was occupied by PM Modi, Governor Mangu Bhai Patel, and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath were warmly greeted by supporters amid echoing of "Modi-Modi", "Yogi-Yogi"slogans. At the outset, all the VVIPs, soon after their arrival on stage/dais, inched closer towards seers and sadhus for blessings. Seers blessed them with both hands.
In his first reaction after swearing-in, Deputy CM Jagdish Devda said, "The cabinet formation will take place soon. We will take everyone on board and work as a team to take the state to new heights." He responded that all permutations and combinations in cabinet formation, including caste equations, etc., are being considered.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Bhai Patel, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were prominent among those present to grace the occasion.
The BJP won the assembly election with a thumping majority of 163 seats, and the Congress secured 66, while one seat, Sailana assembly, was won by Bharat Adivasi Party candidate Kamleshwar Dodiyar.