Gandhinagar: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday congratulated Bhupendra Patel on taking oath as the Gujarat chief minister for the second time, saying the state will remain dynamic on the path of development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
Dhami was among the chief ministers of several BJP-ruled states who attended the swearing-in ceremony in Gandhinagar.
The event was also graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami heartily congratulated Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat again and his entire newly elected cabinet in Gandhinagar today," an official release said.
"The chief minister said under the efficient guidance and energetic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat will remain dynamic on the path of development," it added.
Earlier on Monday, PM Modi greeted and bowed before the gathering at the swearing-in ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his cabinet ministers in Gandhinagar.
The Prime Minister led the long line of dignitaries at the swearing-in ceremony of Patel, who took oath as the chief minister for the second time. On Sunday evening, PM Modi held a roadshow in Ahmedabad after his party swept the Gujarat Assembly bagging 156 seats, the highest-ever electoral haul for any party in the state since it was founded in 1960.
People lined the streets through which PM Modi's convoy passed and greeted him with loud cheers.
The Prime Minister was also seen waving at the adoring crowds.
Earlier on Monday, Patel was administered the oath of office by Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar at 2 pm.
Apart from PM Modi, the ceremony was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also among the attendees at the event. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Uttarakhand and Tripura counterparts Pushkar Singh Dhami and Tripura's Manik Saha were also present.
Talking to the reporters, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio said, "We've come here to celebrate the victory of Gujarat. We are very much confident of winning the Nagaland polls."
"The Gujarat result will be repeated (in Karnataka). Our Gujarat victory has sent out a clear message to all state governments that if they work for development then a pro-incumbency mandate is a definite possibility," Bommai said.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, BJP national president JP Nadda, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Smriti Irani were also present at the function.
Sawant said, ''The BJP got such a massive mandate in Gujarat for the very first time. I congratulate all party workers of Gujarat." —ANI