Sonia Gandhi to attend Chhattisgarh Foundation Day function on Nov 1

Raipur, Oct 30: Congress president Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate the 'Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav', a celebration to mark the state's 20th foundation day, here on Friday, an official said.

It will be Gandhi's first visit to Chhattisgarh after the Congress came to power in the state last year. She did not campaign in the state during the 2018 Assembly polls or the parliamentary elections held this year. Chhattisgarh came into existence on November 1, 2000, after bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh.

The three-day celebrations will be held at the Science College ground here from Friday during which various cultural events and exhibitions of different departments will be held, a government official said on Wednesday. "Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate the opening ceremony on Friday at 7 pm," he said.

Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey will be the chief guest for the function to be held on November 2, while Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will attend the valedictory function on November 3, the official said. Various programmes, including folk dance and song performances, will be held during the three-day celebrations for which artists from across the state have been invited.

Besides, eminent personalities from various walks of life will be felicitated with the state awards, he said. The state government has declared a holiday for its offices and institutions on November 1, he added.