All set for next Modi innings

As Narendra Modi takes charge as the Gujarat chief minister for the third successive time on Wednesday, the event will undoubtedly turn into a show of strength for the BJP.

The party top brass, besides some allies, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, will attend the swearing-in ceremony. However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will give the event a miss.  

The Sardar Patel stadium has been decked up for the occasion with arrangements being made to accommodate one lakh people. A large number of security personnel have been deployed at the venue, taking into account an overwhelming VVIP presence. BJP leaders L K Advani, Arun Jailtely and Sushma Swaraj are expected to attend, beside Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Considering the bitter relationship with Nitish Kumar, JD (U) presence is most unlikely. BJP sources said: “The Bihar chief minister was not invited, though the JD(U) has been sent an invitation.”

Kumar has been resisting any move to project Modi as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate. The BJP, which is an ally of the JD(U) in Bihar, will send Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modifor to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Senior RSS leaders are yet to confirm their attendance. The Sangh leaders in Gujarat have been on a collision course with Modi, though the chief minister tried to make amends recently as he met some senior Sangh leaders after the elections. With national leaders and chief ministers of various states slated to attend, security in the city have been tightened.

Traffic diversions have been implemented in the city until the swearing-in is over.

Modi invite sends TDP in a tizzy

An invitation from Gujarat CM Narendra Modi to actor and politician N Bala Krishna to attend his swearing in ceremony  has created ripples in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a former NDA ally. While Naidu was invited since he knows Modi personally, the inclusion of Balakrishna’s name in the invitees list by state BJP chief Kishan Reddy was a bit of a surprise.  However, sources said that party president Chandrababu Naidu who was also invited has decided against attending the event and advised Balakrishna the same.