Kamal Nath to take oath as Madhya Pradesh chief minister on Monday

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister-designate Kamal Nath will Monday take the oath of office in the presence of several UPA leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, at the Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal.

Nath will take the oath of office at 1:30 pm and the ceremony would be preceded by an all-religion prayer meeting, Congress media cell chairperson Shobha Oza told PTI Sunday.

She added that Governor Anandiben Patel would leave following the oath ceremony while Gandhi and Nath would address the gathering.

Nath had told PTI Saturday that he would be taking oath alone.

Oza said that among the UPA leaders expected to be present are former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda.

"So far, I have information that Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy and Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy will attend the swearing-in ceremony. DMK leaders M K Stalin and M K Kanimozhi are also scheduled to attend," she said, adding that confirmation of attendance from more leaders was awaited.

Nine-time Chhindwara Lok Sabha MP Nath was chosen as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party Thursday and was invited to form the government by the governor on Friday.

The Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member House and then secured the support of seven more MLAs, comprising two from the BSP, one from the SP and four Independents.