Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has been sworn in as the first chief minister of Telangana, India's 29th state that was born on Sunday midnight.
KCR-led TRS won the 2014 Lok sabha elections by getting 62 of the 119 seats in the newly-formed Telangana Assembly. The 63-year-old leader, who has led the movement demanding a separate state since 2001, became the newly-formed Telangana's CM.
The oath-taking ceremony commenced at Raj Bhavan in Somajiguda, Hyderabad on Monday morning. E.S.L. Narasimhan, who was sworn in as the Governor of Telangana at 6.15 am on Monday, administered the swearing-in ceremony of KCR and his 11-member council of ministers.
Harish Rao, K Taraka Rama Rao (KCR's son), Nayani Narsimha Reddy, Eetela Rajendar, Padma Rao, Mahamood Ali, Rajaiah, Jagadish Reddy, Jogu Ramanna, Mahender Reddy and Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy are the members of KCR's cabinet.
The chief minister will attend the official celebrations of Telangana formation day at Parade Grounds in Hyderabad. At around 10.15 am, he will hoist the national flag and make his first speech as the chief minister.
KCR is expected to officially take charge as the CM at around 12.52 pm at the Telangana state secretariat. The newly-formed government's first cabinet meeting is also likely to take place today. During the meeting, the chief minister will approve Telangana's new logo - Kakatiya Gate and Charminar on it, reported NDTV.
After decades of struggle, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill (Telangana Act) 2014 was passed by the Lok Sabha in February and it fixed 2 June as the date of formation of Telangana state.
Telangana has been formed by carving out ten districts of Andhra Pradesh. The ten districts of Telangana are Hyderabad, Medak, Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy and Warangal. Hyderabad will serve as the joint capital for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for ten years. Within that period, AP has to build a separate capital for the state, while Hyderabad will become Telangana's capital city.
Celebrations of Telangana Formation
Earlier on Sunday midnight, supporters of Telangana celebrated the formation of the new state with fireworks and by distributing sweets. They also sung songs and danced to express their happiness in the formation of the new state. The song "Jaya Jayahe Telangana," chosen as the Telangana state song by party chief KCR, was played across several places during midnight.
The new government ensured that important landmarks such as the Charminar, Golconda Fort, Legislative and several other public buildings were illuminated. "The idea is to celebrate the formation of the state with people. This is the most cherished moment for each and every Telanganite since their dream is finally becoming a reality," Karne Prabhakar, the TRS politburo member who heads the party's celebrations committee, told India Today.
Modi to be Invited for Inaugural of Telangana state
KCR has decided to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an exclusive function to inaugurate the Telangana state. The function is likely to be held a fortnight after 2 June.
