VIJAYAWADA : The swearing-in ceremony of N Chandrababu Naidu as Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues on Wednesday witnessed some interesting moments as JSP chief Pawan Kalyan introduced his brother Chiranjeevi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and all the three posing for pictures.
Similarly, Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna was seen kissing his sister on the forehead as she was seated on the dais. The mood was exuberant as Pawan Kalyan rose to take the oath of office and secrecy.
Governor S Abdul Nazeer officiated the ceremony on the stage set up at Medha IT Towers in Kesarapalli Gannavaram, with Modi attending the event as the chief guest. TDP, JSP and BJP activists arrived at the venue at 8 am itself, along with those having invitations. Several TDP, JSP and BJP activists came to the venue on foot from long distances.
Speaking to TNIE, Veerabhadram from Hindupur, who walked more than 20 km, said he reached Vijayawada early in the morning to witness Naidu’s swearing-in ceremony. With no vehicles being available to reach the venue at Kesarapalli, he began trekking from the bus station.
Though Naidu’s swearing-in ceremony was scheduled at 11.29 am, the Governor began it at 11.33 am. As Naidu took the oath, chants of ‘Chandrababu Anu Nenu’ filled the air from the activists in front of the stage. After taking the oath, Naidu hugged Modi and became emotional. Balakrishna blessed his sister and Naidu’s wife Bhuvaneswari, by kissing her on the forehead, which moved the TDP cadre.
Following Naidu’s swearing-in, 24 ministers were sworn in one after the other. Pawan Kalyan was the first to take the oath, which was met with cheers and slogans. His wife Anna Konidela captured the moment on video from the gallery. After his oath, Pawan Kalyan thanked both Modi and Naidu, then approached Chiranjeevi, who was seated among the guests on the dais, and touched his feet in respect.
Later, Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh took the oath. His wife and Balakrishna’s daughter Brahmani, along with her son Devansh, seated in the gallery, witnessed the event. Lokesh’s oath-taking was also met with enthusiastic chants and applause from the crowd. Modi posed for a photo with Naidu and Pawan Kalyan soon after the oath-taking ceremony.
Later, Modi held Pawan Kalyan’s hand and approached Chiranjeevi. They were seen exchanging pleasantries. Chiranjeevi again showed his love for his younger brother by touching his cheeks. After congratulating one another, they turned towards the audience and raised their hands together, prompting a wave of applause from the crowd.
Then Naidu introduced Rajinikanth and his wife, who were behind them, to Modi. The Prime Minister wished all the dignitaries on the dais before leaving the venue.
Earlier, Lokesh, Brahmani, Anna, BJP State chief D Purandeswari, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan, and others arrived at their designated gallery from the VIP gate. However, there was some confusion among the police in directing them to their designated seats.
Chiranjeevi sat on one side, and Balakrishna on the other, next to actor Rajinikanth and his wife Latha on the dais, who attended the event as special guests. Their presence on the LED screens elicited a positive response from the crowd. Telangana’s former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who attended the event, greeted former Vice- President of India Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who were already on the dais. When Tamilisai, after greeting Amit Shah was moving forward, he called her back and asked her something.
When she tried to explain, he did not listen to her and put forth his point. It is assumed that the brief conversation was on Tamilisai opposing the leadership of some BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu, including State president K Annamalai.
JSP leader Konidela Nagababu, along with Pawan Kalyan’s son Akira Nandan in a traditional attire, and daughter Aadya, arrived late. Nagababu appeared annoyed over the police not being able to guide them properly to their seats.
Meanwhile, people attended the event with high hopes for Naidu’s administration, expecting more industries and development of IT, which may benefit women as well as youth.