After the mega swearing-in ceremony in Delhi which saw Narendra Modi return as the Prime Minister for a record third term, it's time for Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to welcome their new chief ministers on Wednesday. While Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu will take oath as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in the morning, the evening will see tribal leader Mohan Charan Majhi sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha.
Both the events will see a beeline of top BJP leaders in attendance, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the flock.
In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to take oath at 11.27 am near Medha IT Park opposite Gannavaram Airport in Kesarapalli on the outskirts of Vijayawada.
Along with Naidu, other leaders are likely to swear-in. They could include actor-turned-politician and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan, who is likely to be the Deputy Chief Minister.
Besides PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also attend Naidu's swearing-in ceremony. Shah, who arrived in the state on Tuesday night, met Naidu at his residence and congratulated him.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are also expected to be present for the swearing-in ceremony.
Besides the political heavyweights, the ceremony is also set to be graced by top South movie stars. Megastar Chiranjeevi, who is the elder brother of Pawan Kalyan, will attend the event with his son, actor Ram Charan.
Other high-profile personalities from the film industry who are likely to grace the occasion include Rajinikanth and Mohan Babu, sources told India Today TV. Allu Arjun, who is the nephew of Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan, has also been invited to the ceremony.
Jr NTR, nephew of Chandrababu Naidu, has also been extended an invitation.
This will be Chandrababu Naidu's fourth term as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. In the recently concluded state elections, Naidu steered his Telugu Desam Party to a major win, bagging 135 of the 175 Assembly seats. TDP's allies Janasena and BJP won 21 and 8 seats, respectively.
MOHAN MAJHI TO BE ODISHA CHIEF MINISTER
After Andhra Pradesh, Odisha will witness the swearing-in of Chief Minister-designate Mohan Charan Majhi in the evening. Mohan Majhi, a four-time MLA, was selected the leader of the BJP Legislature Party on Tuesday.
The 52-year-old leader is a prominent tribal face in the coastal state. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida will be his deputies.
The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 5 pm on Wednesday. After attending Chandrababu Naidu's swearing-in, PM Modi is expected to take off for Bhubaneswar at 12.45 pm. He is expected to arrive in Bhubaneswar at 2.30 pm and proceed to Raj Bhavan from the airport, party sources said.
Several dignitaries, including Union Ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new Odisha Chief Minister.
The BJP has also invited former Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik for the ceremony. Patnaik's 24-year reign as the Chief Minister came to end after the BJP dealt a crushing blow to his BJD party in the state election, winning 78 seats in the 147-member Assembly. The BJD could only manage 51 seats.
Besides PM Modi, a number of Union Ministers and chief ministers of several states ruled by the BJP are likely to attend the event.
The Odisha government also announced that its offices in Bhubaneswar will remain closed for from 1 pm in view of the oath-taking ceremony.
