Bhajan Lal Sharma Takes Oath As Rajasthan's CM In PM Modi, Shah's Presence

First-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma has taken oath as the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with many others.

Along with Sharma, Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa, who were named as deputy chief ministers in the recently held BJP legislature party meeting, took oath. The three were administered the oath of office by Governor Kalraj Mishra.

Ahead of the ceremony, Sharma offered prayers at the Govind Devji temple in the state capital and fed cows at the Pinjrapol Gaushala on Tonk road. His family members and supporters also accompanied him. Sharma visited another temple after this. The BJP leader then went to his residence at Balaji Tower near the Jawahar Circle where he sought the blessings of his parents. He also visited a Shiv temple on the premises before leaving for the oath-taking ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda, several union ministers and chief ministers of different states will attend the ceremony in front of the iconic Albert Hall at noon. Massive security and sitting arrangements have been made at the venue where a large number of people are likely to witness the ceremony.

A party spokesperson said invitations have been sent to central leaders and state chief ministers for the ceremony. All main roads leading to the venue have been decorated with posters and banners of various central government welfare schemes as well as the leaders' cutouts.

The BJP won 115 seats in the November 25 assembly elections while the Congress got 69 seats. Polling was held on 199 of the 200 assembly seats in the state. Sharma, a first-time MLA, was on Tuesday announced as the chief minister-designate during a BJP legislature party meeting in the presence of the party's central observers Rajnath Singh, Saroj Pandey and Vinod Tawde.

Vidhyadhar Nagar MLA Kumari and Dudu MLA Bairwa were announced as the picks for deputy chief ministers and Ajmer North MLA Vasudev Devnani as the speaker of the assembly.