MP, Chhattisgarh CMs to take oath today; PM Modi, Shah likely to attend

Chief Minister designates Mohan Yadav and Vishnu Deo Sai will take their oath as the new Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, respectively, on Wednesday.

Mohan Yadav will take his oath as the Chief Minister at a ceremony at Lal Parade Ground in the state capital, while Vishnu Sai will take his oath at Science College Ground in Chhattisgarh's Raipur at 2 pm today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among others, are likely to attend the oath-taking ceremony at both places.

Madhya Pradesh will have two deputy Chief Ministers -- Rajendra Shukla and Jagdish Devda. Former Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be the Assembly Speaker.

"Our newly designated Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his cabinet will take the oath in the ceremony held at Motilal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday. It will be organised in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and National Party President JP Nadda and will be historic," said BJP state president VD Sharma.

"PM Modi, Shah, Nadda along with other party officials, Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of other states, will be present in the ceremony. Apart from this, a large number of party workers will also be present in the program. I welcome everyone attending the program," he added.

Madhya Pradesh went to poll for 230 assembly seats in a single phase on November 17 and the counting of votes was done on December 3.

The BJP, which had been battling close to 20 years of incumbency in the state, won a resounding mandate, bagging 163 seats, while the Congress finished a distant second at 66 seats.

In Chhattisgarh, BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sharma said on Tuesday that, as per the ongoing discussions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda and other senior party leaders will be joining the swearing-in ceremony.

"Tomorrow is the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister and on the basis of the discussions over it, PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda, multiple union ministers, multiple BJP state presidents and multiple BJP state chief ministers are all coming," said Vijay Kumar Sharma.

On being asked about the formation of the cabinet, the BJP leader said that it is the CM's prerogative, whether he does it tomorrow or after that. Vijay Kumar also extended his wishes and greetings to the Madhya Pradesh CM-designate, Mohan Yadav. "I have seen about him (Mohan Yadav) on social media; he is a very brave and very hardworking person. Many congratulations to him. I think Madhya Pradesh will reach greater heights," he said.

Vishnudev Sai, over a telephonic call on Tuesday, invited former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, former Deputy CM TS Singh Deo and Pradesh Congress Committee President Deepak Baij to attend the swearing-in ceremony, organised at the Science College grounds in Raipur.

All political officials and dignitaries were also invited by the state government. Former Chhattisgarh CM and BJP leader Raman Singh announced the name of Vishnu Deo Sai as the next CM of Chhattisgarh during the BJP legislature meeting in Raipur on Sunday.

The new chief minister started his political career as a village sarpanch. In 1989, he was elected as a 'panch' of Bagia village panchayat and the next year he became the sarpanch unopposed.

Vishnu Deo won four consecutive Lok Sabha elections from the Raigarh constituency from 1999 to 2014. He was not given a ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, the BJP bagged 54 while the Congress won 35.