Even if mercury has come down below 10 degrees Celsius in Gujarat’s capital Gandhinagar, political heat seems to soar on the eve of high-profile swearing-in ceremony of Vijay Rupani as Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers.
The ceremony to be held on Tuesday will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 18 Chief Ministers of BJP and its allies ruled States including that of neighbouring Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh apart from India’s largest State Uttar Pradesh.
Contrary to the anticipation that the swearing-in ceremony might be arranged at either Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar or at Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad, the State administration decided to organised it at State Secretariat itself. As result of it, the Secretariat campus situated in sector 10, has been transformed into fortress in wake of PM Modi and other dignitaries’ presence.
Sources in the State Home Department informed that security arrangement at the venue would be monitored by IGP level officer. There would be more than 2500 policemen inside and outside the Secretariat that include three SP level officials, 45 police inspectors, 120 PSIs and 150 police women. More over a advance security liaison process too was completed on Monday afternoon to ensure tight security for the Prime Minister.
Apart from PM and 18 CMs, 250 VVIP guests from across the nation will remain present to witness coronation of Vijay Rupani as Gujarat CM. A senior official with General Administration Department (GAD) said that nearly 10,000 people expected to attend the official State function.
luxury hotels in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar have been booked by the State Government. Three teams of doctors have been deployed at Gandhinagar Civil hospital. Even at the venue of the function, special medical facilities created to cope up with any emergency. An office set up for the Prime Minister has been created at the State secretariat complex, so that he would remain in constant contact with his New Delhi office.
Roads of the State capital have been cleaned and some of the roads were resurfaced in a war footing. Main roads leading towards the Secretariat complex from where convoys of VIPs will pass have been closed for general public.
It is worth mentioning that in the recently concluded Assembly polls BJP won 99 out of 182 seats which would allow the saffron brigade to form Government in Gujarat for the sixth consecutive time since 1995. The opposition Congress secured 77 seats, three by independents, two by Bharatiya Tribal Party and one Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Meanwhile, an independent MlA from lunawada constituency in central Gujarat Ratansinh Rathod has extended his unconditional support to BJP which would make the party’s tally in the House to 100.