But not many in the opposition share Stalin's enthusiasm.
Buoyant after its victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the Congress sought to turn the oath-taking ceremonies of its chief ministers into shows of opposition unity. Party president Rahul Gandhi tweeted pictures of himself with regional leaders as they travelled to the swearing-in venues on a bus, trying to present a picture of bonhomie. In keeping with the sentiment of the moment, a senior leader even jokingly suggested that the bus be called “Gathbandhan Travels”.
As many as 17 opposition parties were represented at the swearing-in ceremonies. Notable absentees included Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee. With ambitions of their own, these leaders would not like to be seen as following Rahul, for whom the swearing-in ceremonies were an affirmation of his own leadership in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.
This story is from the December 30, 2018 edition of THE WEEK.
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This story is from the December 30, 2018 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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