Karnataka - Bangalore   

Huge turnout expected for swearing in

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

All set to take over: BJP leaders M. Venkaiah Naidu (right) and H.N. Ananth Kumar garlanding Chief Minister-designate B.S. Yeddyurappa at a meeting with party MLAs in Bangalore on Sunday.

BANGALORE: A huge turnout of supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party is expected at the swearing-in ceremony of B.S. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister on Monday in front of the Vidhana Soudha here.

The BJP is expecting a turnout of 50,000 to 60,000 people to witness the event of the party getting the Chief Minister’s post for the first time in a southern State. Most of the crowd will be from Shimoga, the home district of Mr. Yeddyurappa. Party workers from far off places have started arriving in Bangalore from Sunday. They have been put up in various marriage halls and also at the Palace Grounds.

The BJP has turned saffron the main streets of the Bangalore by putting up its banners, buntings and flags in large numbers to mark the swearing-in ceremony.

All the main streets which lead to the Vidhana Soudha are inundated with party’s banners and buntings. Similarly, a large number of huge cut-outs of Mr. Yeddyurappa and other party leaders have been put up on either sides of the main streets and also at intersections. Interestingly, there is hardly any presence of the coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular) banners in the city.

The who’s who of the BJP central leadership would also be present at the swearing-in ceremony. Party central leader M. Venkaiah Naidu told presspersons that almost all the Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled States and party national leaders, including Rajnath Singh, L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj would attend the Monday’s event. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the event.

Party’s former president M. Venkaiah Naidu and its national vice-president in-charge of Karnataka affairs Yashwant Sinha arrived in Bangalore on Sunday to monitor the preparations for the big event.

A legislature party meeting was held by the BJP on Sunday evening to brief its legislators on how they should conduct themselves in the coalition set up.

Mr. Naidu told presspersons after the meeting that the party was happy as its long cherished dream had come true though there was a delay of 13 days in inviting Mr. Yeddyurappa to form a government.

He did not agree with the suggestion that the Janata Dal (Secular) declining to swear-in its nominee along with Mr. Yeddyurappa was a negative beginning for the coalition government. “Do not read much into the decision of the Janata Dal (Secular),” he said.

“We know that there will be challenges ahead. But we are confident that the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition will be able to convert those challenges into opportunities,” he said.

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

Stories in this Section

Underpasses proposed for pedestrians
Rs. 1,208 crore sought for modernisation of canals
A walk to prevent diabetes
When a fixation becomes rather alarming
Bullet aimed at boar kills man
Protest
Coffee estates favoured as buffer zones for wildlife conservation
Vatal seeks speedy disposal of disqualification petition
Teaching session
Complaint against BJP leaders
Huge turnout expected for swearing in
Recruitment for Territorial Army
Likely reshuffle in State Congress
Bangalore residents come out against ‘Sakrama’
Free dog handling classes in Bangalore
Giving back to society
Painting the children of lesser God
Chennai boys win Jack Kilby quiz

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu