Celebrations for 2 years in power

The Narendra Modi government on Thursday will complete two years in power at the Centre. Elaborate celebrations are planned, and ministers are giving interviews about their achievements in two years on orders from the Prime Minister himself. Narendra Modi will also address a special Mann ki Baat to list what the government has done in two years. The party will have its own celebration.

Sonowal requests Gogoi to attend his swearing-in ceremony
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday requested outgoing chief minister Tarun Gogoi to take part in his swearing-in ceremony to be held on Tuesday in Guwahati.

Sonowal visited Gogoi at his official residence in Koinadhara area of the city on Sunday and invited him to the oath-taking function to be held at Khanapara field. A host of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, are slated to attend it.

Sonowal also sought Gogoi's advice, goodwill and blessings, the chief minister's office (CMO) stated.

Gogoi accepted Sonowal's invitation and said he would attend the swearing-in ceremony and also conveyed good wishes to him, the CMO said.

Earlier in the day, Sonowal was unanimously elected as Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party leader in Assam, paving the way for his becoming the next chief minister of the state.

It is not known yet whether Sonowal alone will be sworn in or will announce the names of his council of ministers as well.

LDF to have lean Cabinet with only 19 ministers
Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), which was elected to power in the May 16 assembly polls in Kerala, on Sunday decided to have a leaner cabinet with only 19 ministers.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led new ministry, which will be sworn in on Wednesday, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan told reporters after the LDF state committee meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Of the 19 ministers, CPI-M will have 12, CPI four, Janata Dal (S), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress (S) one each, Viswan said.

Other minor parties, which support LDF from outside, including Kerala Congress (B) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (L), which have won one seat each, will not get a berth.

While the Speaker's post will go to CPI(M), the deputy speaker's post will be held by CPI.

The previous Congress-led UDF government had 21 ministers.

Cong's actions have distanced people from it: Jaitley
Attacking the Congress over "dynastic politics", Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said when "attraction" for a "family" ends, the party has to pay for it. "When people's attraction for a family ends, the party has to pay a price for it," Jaitley said during his address to BJP workers in Kanpur.

The BJP leader said that the Congress acting as an "obstructionist opposition" in Parliament hasn't helped the party's cause much. "The Congress party is working as an obstructionist opposition, which has further distanced people from it and their support base is getting reduced," Jaitley said.

Bhutan PM to attend Mamata's swearing-in ceremony
Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay will be among those at in attendance during the swearing-in ceremony of Mamata Banerjee as West Bengal Chief Minister for the second consecutive term on Friday. "Looking forward to congratulating Mamata-di personally during her swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata," Tobgay tweeted. In her reply, Banerjee expressed gratitude to him and tweeted, "Thank you so much for the kind words". The two leaders have developed a good rapport ever since Banerjee went to the Himalayan nation last year where Tobgay even drove her once to the hotel in Thimphu.