Rahul, Manmohan attend Gehlot swearing-in event

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Monday was sworn in as the chief minister of Rajasthan at a ceremony in Jaipur, while Sachin Pilot took oath as a Cabinet minister. The party announced that Mr Pilot will be the state’s deputy chief minister.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and outgoing chief minister Vasundhara Raje attended the event. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, and DMK chief MK Stalin were also present at the swearing in ceremony.

Enthusiastic party workers shouted slogans in support of both Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot and climbed on to chairs to have a glimpse of the event. Prior to the oath ceremony, Mr Gehlot, Mr Pilot, and other leaders welcomed Mr Gandhi, Mr Singh, and others at the Jaipur airport. From there they left for the Albert Hall, an iconic structure located in the heart of the city.

This was for the first time that the oath-taking ceremony of a CM took place at the hall. Traditionally, such ceremonies are held at Raj Bhawan. Former CM  Vasundhara Raje, however, had taken oath outside the Assembly building in 2003 and 2013. Mr Gehlot has become the fourth leader to hold the chief minister’s post for a third time.