Tripura CM Manik Sarkar to skip Modi's swearing-in

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as India's next prime minister because he has pre-scheduled programme, an official said here Saturday.

State PWD and Health Minister Badal Chowdhury will represent the Left Front government at the ceremony May 26.

"An invitation from the Rashtrapati Bhavan came here yesterday (Friday) requesting Sarkar to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi. The chief minister due to his pre-scheduled programme will not be able to attend the ceremony," a top government official told IANS.

Sarkar is also a politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

The official said: "The chief minister after consulting his party and senior ministers has decided to send Chowdhury in the swearing-in ceremony to represent Tripura and the Left Front government."

Chowdhury, a member of the CPI-M central committee, will leave for Delhi Sunday.