The stage for the swearing in of Chief Minister-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday will also offer a rare glimpse of two powerful leaders sharing the same platform. In what is being seen as an uncommon occasion, rivals-turned-friends and former Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati will be part of the oath-taking ceremony.
Though the two leaders — once bitter critics of each other — came together to fight the bypolls for two Parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh, they are rarely seen together on a common platform.
While Ms. Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party has won one seat in alliance with Janata Dal (Secular), Mr. Yadav’s Samajwadi Party did not win any seat. Both have been invited by JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda to the event, which is also being seen as emergence of an alternative front in which a large number of leaders from regional parties from across the country as well as senior Congress and CPM/CPI leaders are taking part.
Among others, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja, and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly and son of Lalu Prasad, Tejaswi Yadav, from Rashtriya Janata Party will be present.
While the police are expecting a large gathering in front of the Vidhana Soudha where Mr. Kumaraswamy will take oath of office, officials in the protocol section that is handling the arrangements said about 2,000 passes are being issued for the event since seating facility is limited. Meanwhile, a massive security cover is being provided in and around the venue with many high profile dignitaries attending the ceremony. Over 3,000 police personnel from State and Central Reserve Forces are being deployed around the Vidhana Soudha.
