Raman Singh sworn in as C'garh CM; Shivraj to take oath today

Embarking on a second consecutive term in the office as chief minister, Bharatiya Janata party’s leader and chief minister from Chhattisgarh was sworn in as the chief minister by the Governor E S L Narsimhan on Friday while the another leader and chief minister from Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be sworn in later in the day today.

The 56-year-old Raman Singh, aka Mr. Clean for his clean image and for the significant reduction in corruption while implementing government scheme and plans during his tenure, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Governor at a ceremony held in the Police Parade Ground in the capital, Raipur in presence of the BJP’s senior leaders, including L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu.

The BJPs chief ministers of Uttarakhand B C Khanduri and Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal were also present on the occasion along with actors-turned MPs Hema Malini, Smriti Irani and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

A person full of progressive thought, Raman Singh’s popular economic programmes viz. Rs. 3 per kg of rice for the needy has also helped him to retain the power for the second consecutive time.

He had proscribed naxalite organisation rampant in the tribal belt of Chhattisgarh in 2005 under the “Salwa Judum” initiative.

The Ayurvedic doctor turned politician, Raman Singh, who had first sworn in as chief minister of Chhattisgarh in 2003 as the first BJP government after the state split from Madhya Pradesh, is largely credited for single-handedly scripting the party's success in the 2008 assembly polls. The BJP bagged 50 seats, four more than the magic number, in the 90-member state assembly.

On the other hand in Madhya Pradesh, elaborate arrangements have been made for the swearing in of Shivraj Singh Chauhan as the chief minister for the second time at the Jamboree Maidan at BHEL Township in the presence of senior BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh and L K Advani.

While Chouhan will be sworn-in alone today, his cabinet is likely to take the oath on December 15th.

The ruling BJP won 144 seats in the 2008 assembly elections while the Congress lagged far behind with only 70 seats.