Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhajan Lal Sharma took the oath of office after he was sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Rajasthan on Friday at a function in Jaipur which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP top brass.
Diya Kumari and Dr Premchand Bairwa also took oath as deputy chief ministers at the function which was organised at the historic Albert Hall.
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sharma, Bairwa and Diya Kumari. After taking the oath, Sharma reached the chief minister’s office (CMO) in the secretariat where he was received by officers.
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Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot also attended the swearing-in sitting next to his rival and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhwat.
“Sabka saath, sabka vikas will be our priority. We will not spare any effort in making Rajasthan prosperous, self-reliant and the best state in the country,” CM Sharma said in his speech after the oath.
Among the dignitaries who attended the programme were Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Union minister Kailash Choudhary, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, MP CM Mohan Yadav, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnudev Sai, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Goa CM Pramod Sawant, and UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya.
From Albert Hall, Sharma went to the secretariat where he assumed charge as CM. He was accompanied by state BJP president CP Joshi, Vasundhara Raje and a few other central ministers.
A first-time MLA, Sharma was appointed the leader of the BJP legislature party on December 12.
Sharma, who turned 56 on Friday, began his day by offering prayers at Govind Devji temple. He took blessings from his parents as he washed their feet. A video which was circulated on social media shows Sharma sitting on the floor with his wife while his parents are seen seated on a sofa. He then washed his parents’ feet and took their blessings before cutting a birthday cake with his family.
Diya Kumari also visited Govind Devji temple and offered prayers before going for the oath-taking ceremony.
Dr Bairwa visited the Moti Doongri temple and took the blessings of Lord Hanuman. After taking the oath, he too went to the secretariat and assumed charge.
Talking to the media, Bairwa said, “The Gehlot government schemes were an eyewash. They only changed the names of BJP government schemes and implemented them. People have reposed faith in the guarantees given by PM Modi. We will implement schemes of the Modi government on the ground.”
