Raman Singh sworn in as Chhattisgarh chief minister

Raipur, Dec 12 (IANS) Ayurvedic doctor turned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician Raman Singh was Friday sworn in as chief minister of Chhattisgarh state for a second consecutive term.

About 15,000 workers of the BJP as well as party president Rajnath Singh and senior leader L.K. Advani attended the ceremony at the Police Parade Ground where Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the 56-year-old Raman Singh.

Advani and Rajnath Singh had flown in to the state capital in a special plane to attend the function, held amid heavy security.

Raman Singh, first sworn in as chief minister on Dec 7, 2003 to head the first BJP government, is largely credited for single-handedly scripting the party's success in the two-phased polls held on Nov 14 and 20. The BJP bagged 50 seats in the 90-member assembly.

Party insiders say Raman Singh is expected to pick his cabinet colleagues after holding discussions with the central leadership.

Analysts say Raman Singh, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist since childhood, has his task cut out for him -- to contain the Maoists who run a de facto administration in the state's vast forested southern interiors since 1980s.

The other challenge for him is to put into place a policy to improve the quality of life of nearly half the state's 20.08 million population living below the poverty line.