Revanth to be Sworn in as 2nd CM of TS Today

Hyderabad: The new Congress government headed by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will be sworn into the office at a mega public event at LB Stadium at 1.04 pm on Thursday.

Revanth Reddy met top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi in Delhi on Wednesday and invited them to the swearing-in ceremony. It is learnt that all the four top leaders have confirmed their participation.

Revanth Reddy on Wednesday also wrote an open letter to the people of Telangana state, inviting them to the swearing-in ceremony. He said the time has come to establish ‘Indiramma Rajyam’ on Thursday and urged people to attend the event in large numbers.

The swearing-in ceremony, originally scheduled for 10.28 am, was postponed to 1.04 pm, as it would be difficult for VVIPs and other senior leaders from other states to reach Hyderabad by 10.30 am.

Revanth Reddy extended invitations to PCC chiefs of various states and AICC leaders. Invitations were sent to presidents of all parties in Telangana state, as well as all the 119 newly-elected MLAs. Hundreds of families of people who died in the Telangana statehood struggle were also invited to the ceremony.

Sources said that grand arrangements have been made at the LB Stadium for the event, with 500 artistes set to perform cultural programmes. While the stadium has a capacity of over 25,000, nearly one lakh people, including Congress leaders and cadres from across the state, are expected to attend.

Three stages have been set up: the main stage will be for the oath-taking ceremony and two stages on either side set up exclusively for cultural programmes. Giant screens are being set up outside the LB Stadium to facilitate public viewing, as not all may find space inside.

By deciding to take the oath of office at LB Stadium, Revanth Reddy will follow in the footsteps of popular former Chief Ministers N.T. Rama Rao, of the TD, and Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, of the Congress, who did so twice in 2004 and 2009.

N.T. Rama Rao and Rajashekar Reddy had signed their first files of welfare schemes on the dais after taking the oath, to huge public applause. While Rama Rao’s first move was to implement his promise to supply rice at Rs 2 per kg through ration shops in 1983, Rajashekar Reddy’s first act was to sign a file extending free power to the agriculture sector in 2004.

Revanth Reddy has decided to follow suit, by signing the first file implementing the Congress’ Six Guarantees. He is expected to announce in the public domain specific timeframes for the implementation of each of the six guarantees of the Congress.

In a particular highlight of his election campaign in October, Revanth Reddy had promised to give the first government job in his tenure to Rajini, a physically challenged woman from Nampally, as part of the Congress’ job guarantee. Rajini had met Revanth Reddy at Gandhi Bhavan, explaining her plight of not being able to find employment in the private or government sector despite completing her postgraduate studies.

Revanth Reddy, who had given her a Congress guarantee card then, extended an invitation to Rajini for the swearing-in ceremony, where she is expected to land a job.