Sonia Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav invited to Adityanath's swearing-in

Several opposition leaders including Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and others have been invited to the oath-taking ceremony of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow on Friday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati among others have also been invited.

Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met Governor Anandiben Patel and staked a claim to form the government in the state after he was elected leader of the BJP legislative party.

Adityanath will take oath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the second time in a grand ceremony at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium at 4 pm today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda are among the list of invitees scheduled to attend the oath-taking ceremony. Apart from the union ministers, the Chief Ministers and deputy chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and senior BJP leaders are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Chief Ministers from BJP ruled states who will attend Yogi Adityanath's oath-taking include Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Haryana CM ML Khattar, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, Manipur CM Biren Singh, Himachal Pradesh CM Jai R Thakur and Tripura CM Biplab Deb, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami. Pramod Sawant, who will take oath as the Chief Minister of Goa on March 28, will also be present at the event in Lucknow.

Religious leaders are being invited in large numbers to give their blessings for the government to work for the people of the state in the next five years. Prominent Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev will also be present at the ceremony.

Eminent industrialists, sportspersons, artists, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardees are also invited to the event.

The guest list also includes professionals, leaders from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and retired government officers.

The BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share.