Modi, Shah to attend Jai Ram Thakur's oath ceremony
December 27, 2017  00:13
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, former deputy prime minister L K Advani and several Union ministers and chief ministers are expected at the swearing ceremony of Jai Ram Thakur as Himachal Pradesh chief minister at the historic Ridge Maidan today.
The ceremony would be held in the forenoon at 11 am.
The names or number of ministers in the new Himachal government was not revealed even as Thakur held meetings with senior leaders J P Nadda, Prem Kumar Dhumal and Mangal Pandey, who is the BJP's incharge for party affairs.
The BJP has won 44 seats in 68 member house and there are several claimants including senior leaders and former ministers for a berth in the cabinet.
The Ridge Ground turned saffron with BJP flags fluttering all around and cut outs of Modi, Amit Shah and Jai Ram Thakur dominating the scene.
Massive security and other arrangements have been made for the grand function and the Ridge, Annandale helipad and Jubbar-Hatti airport were under the protection of the SPG.
Chief Minister designate Thakur, Union minister Nadda, former chief minister Dhumal and incharge for party affairs, Pandey visited the Ridge and reviewed the arrangements.
Modi, who visited Shimla on April 27 and addressed a rally would be visiting the hill city after eight months today.
About 1,000 security men have been deployed on security duty besides intelligence men in plain clothes. Security has been beefed up and sharp shooters have been deployed at several locations and all entry points at interstate borders are under vigil, DGP Somesh Goyal said.
Most of the VVIPs would land at Jubbar-Hatti airport and be flown to Annandale helipad by choppers and finally taken to the venue of the rally in a carcade to avoid disruption of normal traffic and a corridor has been kept for emergency services like movement of ambulances. -- PTI
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