Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Kamal Nath to take oath as CMs today, many Opposition leaders to attend events

Several opposition leaders are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremonies of Ashok Gehlot, Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Baghel as chief ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively on Monday. Besides, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who will be attend all the three oath-taking ceremonies, prominent opposition leaders such as former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah would attend the events

While Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will be attending the events along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, other leaders invited include AIUDF leader Badruddin Ajmal, TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi and LJD leader Sharad Yadav.

According to news agency PTI, the Congress has also invited the Aam Aadmi Party and its leader Sanjay Singh is likely to attend the events.

Among other opposition leaders who have been invited and are likely to attend the ceremonies include JMM's Hemant Soren, Jharkhand Vikas Manch leader Babulal Marandi, Swabhimani Paksh leader Raju Shetty and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Congress leader Kamal Nath as Madhya Pradesh chief minister. There was no reason cited for Banerjee not going to Bhopal for the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, an official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

Ashok Gehlot would be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan in Jaipur around 10 am, followed by Kamal Nath as CM of Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal around 1 pm and Bhupesh Baghel as Chhattisgarh chief minister around 4.30 pm in Raipur.

Baghel, elected as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) earlier on Sunday, handed over a letter staking claim to form government to Secretary of the Governor, Surendra Kumar Jaiswal.

Jaiswal received the letter on behalf of the governor as she was not in the state. Patel, who is also the governor of Madhya Pradesh, has invited Baghel to take oath as CM at 4.30 PM Monday, a Raj Bhavan release said.

Baghel, MLA from Patan constituency and state Congress chief, was named as next chief minister of Chhattisgarh at CLP meeting.

In the two-phase polls on November 12 and November 20, the Congress romped home to power in Chhattisgarh after 15 years with a two-third majority, winning 68 seats in the 90-member House. The BJP, in power in the state since 2003, was reduced to 15 seats.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress has won 114 seats in the 230-member House, the poll results of which were declared on December 11. It has secured support of a total of 121 MLAs, including SP - 1 and BSP - 2 legislators as also of four independents, to cross the majority mark of 116 seats.

In Rajasthan, the Congress on Friday named Gehlot Rajasthan's next chief minister and Sachin Pilot his deputy after party president Rahul Gandhi brokered peace between the veteran leader and his younger colleague over several rounds of discussions lasting more than two days.

The Congress went from 21 seats against the BJP's 163 in 2013 to getting 99 seats (plus one of the Rashtriya Lok Dal) in the assembly elections, the votes for which were counted on Tuesday.

(With PTI inputs)