In a symbolic move towards parliamentary representation, Mallikarjun Kharge, President of the Congress Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, has confirmed his attendance at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on Sunday (May 9).
The confirmation, sourced from Congress insiders, indicates that Kharge will stand as the representative of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha during the event. The invitation to Kharge was extended by BJP leader Pralhad Joshi, according to sources from ANI.
However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, an ally of the INDIA bloc, announced her decision to skip the ceremony, citing lack of invitation and expressing disapproval of the BJP, stating, “I cannot wish well to an unconstitutional, illegal party for forming the government.”
Despite uncertainties regarding Congress’s participation, concerns were raised by Congress leaders over the absence of invitations. KC Venugopal, a Congress leader, remarked, “So far we have not received any information from the government…I do not know what the mood of the government is.” Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, noted that only international leaders had received invitations, adding, “When our INDIA alliance leaders receive the invitation, we will think about it.”
Simultaneously, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened and urged Rahul Gandhi to assume the role of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, while Sonia Gandhi was reaffirmed as the head of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
The swearing-in ceremony, scheduled for 7:15 PM, marks Narendra Modi’s third consecutive term as Prime Minister, equalling Jawaharlal Nehru’s record. Enhanced security measures have been implemented, with five units of paramilitary forces deployed at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In the recent elections, the BJP secured 240 seats, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) clinching 292 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats. Despite BJP’s dominance, the Congress, part of the INDIA bloc, successfully prevented the BJP from securing a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha.