Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who brought the Bharatiya Janata Party back to power in Madhya Pradesh staving off anti-incumbency and banking on politics of development, was on Friday sworn-in as the Chief Minister for the second successive term.
Watched by a galaxy of top party leaders, including BJP chief Rajnath Singh, Chouhan, 49 , was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Balram Jakhar, marking a high-point in the three-decade-old career of a politician who had taken over the reins of the party in the state at a critical time following the resignation of Uma Bharti.
Chouhan was the only person to take oath and he would expand his ministry later.
Besides Rajnath Singh, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states Narendra Modi (Gujarat), Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh), B C Khanduri and their counterparts from Bihar (Nitish Kumar), Punjab (Parkash Singh Badal) and Orissa (Naveen Patnaik) were also present on the occasion.
BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and filmstar and Rajya Sabha Hema Malini provided a tinge of glamour to the function held at the Jamboori Maidan where BJP had organised a rally in September to take a vow to bring the party back power.
Eminent music director Ravindra Jain sang bhajans before the swearing and an all-religion prayer meeting was also held.