Farmers, widows, celebs to attend Thackeray's swearing-in

More than 500 farmers from different parts of Maharashtra will be invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at Shivaji Park on Thursday evening, a top Congress leader said here on Wednesday.

"We shall be having at least 500-700 farmers and widows specially being invited for the grand function tomorrow. There will be at least 20 farmers from each district in Maharashtra," said senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar.

Chief Ministers of all opposition-ruled states have also been invited besides central leaders of all political parties, and state party leaders, he added.

Shiv Sena Legislative Party leader Eknath Shinde said that apart from political dignitaries from all parties in Maharashtra and rest of India, there will be celebrities from the film and glamour world, industrialists, sports personalities and prominent achievers in different fields present.

He said that at least 500 farmers and widows who have met Uddhav Thackeray during his state-wide poll tours will be attending the function.

Some of the prominent personalities likely to make their presence felt include several top Congress leaders, some parties of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray, Chief Ministers of various states like West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Bihar, etc.

Official sources reveal that top dignitaries like Chief Justice and judges of Bombay High Court, top police, civil and defence officials, diplomatic corps and other high-ranking government officials would also attend the swearing-in ceremony.

This is for the first time in the state that a second swearing-in ceremony of a Chief Minister -- of a different alliance government -- within a gap of five days, will be held.

At the crack of dawn last Saturday (November 23), a two-member government comprising Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was sworn-in, leaving the state and country in a daze.

However, that government barely completed 80 hours in office, paving the way for the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government headed by Thackeray to stake its claim to power, and finally invited to take the oath of office on November 28.IANS