VVIPs grace Naidu’s swearing-in ceremony

Vijayawada: Several VVIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and foreign dignitaries, graced the swearing-in ceremony of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet headed by Nara Chandrababu Naidu in Kesarapalli on Wednesday.

Union ministers Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, Nitin Gadkari, G. Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, K. Rama Mohan Naidu, Bhupathi Raju, Srinivasa Varma and Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, former Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, Tamil Nadu leader of the Opposition E.K. Palaniswami and Telangana’s former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan were present on the dais.

From the film industry, mega star Chiranjeevi and Tamil super star Rajinikanth, Ram Charan and Sai Dharam Tej graced the event.

As all the invitees had been advised to come early to avoid traffic snarls, they did so and seated on the dias a little in advance while a large number of people waited in huge pandals erected for the grand event.

Chandrababu Naidu waited at the Vijayawada airport to receive Prime Minister Modi.

Former Governor Tamilisai Soundarajarajan proceeded to reach her allotted chair to sit while greeting the VVIPs seated on the dais. She was asked to stop as she approached Union minister for home Amit Shah.

Shah was seen gesturing to her with an index finger raised. She had lost the election in Tamil Nadu this time.

After completion of the swearing-in ceremony, the Modi was about to leave the place after greeting the dignitaries on the dais. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan whispered into his ears to meet his brother and film star Chiranjeevi on the dias. The PM swiftely reached up to Chiranjeevi and greeted him. Modi took the hands of both Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan and raised them in the air, in a gesture of solidarity with them.

All the family members of Pawan Kalyan met the Prime Minister off the dais, it is learnt.

After seeing off the PM at the airport, Naidu said in a tweet, “I thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister for gracing the swearing-in-ceremony in Amaravati with his august presence today. I thank Union ministers Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, Nitin Gadkari, CM Eknath Shinde and all the dignitaries who illuminated the ceremony with their presence.”

Several foreign dignitaries who graced the event included Senthil Thondaman, Governor of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka; Edgar Pang, the Singapore consul general from Chennai; Silai Zaki, Australian consul general; Chang Nyun Kim, consul general of the Republic of Korea, Chennai; Takahashi Muneo, consul general of Japan, Chennai; Gareth Wynn Owen, British deputy high commissioner, Hyderabad; Thierry Berthelot, consul general of France, Bengaluru; Md Arifur Rahman, acting DHC of Bangladesh, Chennai; Ewout de Wit, consul general of Netherlands, Mumbai; and Jennifer Adriana Larson, US consul general, Hyderabad.