NEW DELHI: As the Chief Minister-elect, Rekha Gupta, the MLA from Shalimar Bagh assembly seat, prepares to be sworn into Office at the Ramlila Maidan today, she would be joined by a formidable list of the political elite. Interestingly, the who’s who of the country will rub shoulders with the residents of some 250 odd slum clusters from across the city who have also been invited to attend the swearing in ceremony.
The list of invitees for the ceremony include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and other Union ministers.
At least 20 chief ministers from BJP and NDA-ruled states, 50 prominent personalities from various fields, and people from city slum clusters have also been invited to the event.
According to the list prepared by the Delhi government, besides CMs and Deputy CMs from various BJP-ruled states, prominent leaders like Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit, senior AAP leader and outgoing Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal are among opposition leaders who have been invited.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will not be able to attend the ceremony due to the ongoing budget session in the UP assemblies. But, his deputies Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Mourya will attend the oath taking ceremony.
Besides, chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Odisha, and their deputies will attend the ceremony.
Additionally, around 50 celebrities and industrialists have also been invited to grace the occasion. However, their names have not been released. According to sources, prominent industrialists including Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Baba Ramdev, and others are among key invitees.
Speaking to the media, Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva said auto-rickshaw drivers and daily-wage labourers will join the several prominent personalities at the oath ceremony.
It is to be remembered that ‘jahan jhuggi, wahan makan (houses where there are slums)’ has been a long-standing poll promise from both AAP and BJP in the capital.
Slum dwellers, a traditional vote bank for the AAP in past assembly elections, were targeted by the BJP in the run up to the polls. The BJP mobilised prominent leaders in a bid to woo slum dwellers.