Seating arrangement: No front row seat for Rahul Gandhi at R-Day parade

Rahul Gandhi — after the Congress party fumed over his seating arrangement in the sixth row at the Republic Day Parade — had a front row seat in the Central Hall of Parliament during the President's address to the joint sitting of both Houses on Monday. Sonia Gandhi, former Congress president, was also seated in the front row alongside Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader LK Advani, while former prime minister Manmohan Singh was seated on the other side. 

Ahead of occupying their seats, Advani greeted Sonia Gandhi as did external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Union minister Ramdas Athawale. Among other Opposition leaders seated in the front row were Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was seated next to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. 

BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi got a seat in the third row along with National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah. Ahead of them in the second row were NCP chief Sharad Pawar and SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.