All four proposers to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony

All four proposers, including a tea vendor and a member of the erstwhile royal family, who had signed Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi's nomination papers from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, will attend the swearing-in ceremony in Delhi tomorrow, sources said.

A member of Vadodara's erstwhile royal family Shubhanginidevi Raje-Gaekwad, tea vendor Kiran Mahida, former Gujarat minister Makrand Desai's widow Neelaben Desai and founder-president of the city unit of the BJP Bhupendra Patel would attend the ceremony.

"After receiving official communication from Delhi, at least 25 BJP workers from Vadodara city including Shubhanginidevi Raje-Gaekwad, Mahida, Neelaben Desai and Bhupendra Patel will attend the swearing-in ceremony," Gujarat finance and energy minister Saurabh Patel told PTI here today, adding that they had already prepared themselves to attend this ceremony after receiving a message from the BJP and it is now official.

"I, along with Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and other ministers will attend the oath-taking ceremony," Saurabh Patel said.

Member of Vadodara's royal family Subhanginidevi Raje-Gaekwad expressed her happiness saying that attending the swearing-in ceremony is matter of a great honour.

"It is a matter of great honour for me to attend this ceremony where Modi will be sworn in as prime minister of India," Subhanginidevi Raje-Gaekad said.

She described Modi as "a statesman" for inviting heads of SAARC countries, including Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif for attending the ceremony.

It may be recalled that while filing his nomination from Vadodara on April 9, Narendra Modi had paid tributes to Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the ruler of eartwhile princely state of Baroda for establishing several schools and making primary education compulsory.