National   

BJP women CMs take over

By Gargi Parsai

BHOPAL Dec. 8. It was a historic day for the Bharatiya Janata Party today when two of its women members from distinctively different backgrounds — one a practising sanyasin and the other an erstwhile Maharani — took oath of office in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and became the first women to head these States. They are also the first women BJP Chief Ministers.

Uma Bharti and Vasundhara Raje are not the first women Chief Ministers in the country, but their anointment does reflect the change that is taking place in the BJP. So far, the party has decidedly been lukewarm to the idea of allowing women to take the driver's seat.

All that changed today when Ms. Bharti was administered the oath of office and secrecy along with 17 Ministers by the Madhya Pradesh Governor, Ramprakash Gupta, at the Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal, while the erstwhile Maharani of Dholpur, Ms. Raje, along with nine Ministers took the oath of office from the Governor, Kailashpati Mishra, at an impressive ceremony on the Assembly lawns in Jaipur.

In Bhopal, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the Union Ministers, Murli Manohar Joshi, George Fernandes, Arun Shourie, Shahnawaz Hussain, Vijay Goyal, among others, several sadhus and two Maulvis watched Ms. Bharti as she took charge of the State.

Soon after taking oath, she sought the blessings of the sadhus and her Guru Vishveshwa tirtha of Pejavar Mutt near Udupi in Karnataka. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Giriraj Kishore, and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das were also present during the swearing in ceremony.

Looking graceful in defeat was the outgoing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, who was personally invited to the ceremony by Ms. Bharti.

Ms. Raje's hour of glory was witnessed by the Union Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, the BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu and the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting among others. The former Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, was also present.

Commenting on the presence of the outgoing Congress Chief Ministers, a Union Minister later said, ``this is healthy politics.''

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Government faces major embarrassment in Lok Sabha
• 'Good governance' to be BJP's plank for Lok Sabha polls
• Dismissal of Rabri Government sought
• Terrorists killed in Delhi had murdered intelligence officer
• Hearing in The Hindu case against defamation law adjourned
• BJP women CMs take over
• Bill to check POTA misuse introduced
• Trial court directed to decide Badal's bail plea
• Congress seeks explanation from Advani
• Stay on Taslima's book extended
• 'Ex-ACP demanded Rs. 2 crores from Telgi'
• Former Air Chief dead
• No regrets: Jogi
• IES officer commits suicide

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu