Rahul, Sonia Gandhi to attend PM Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony

The ceremony will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan and will begin from 7 pm on Thursday (May 30).

File photo

New Delhi: After spearheading the political attack against Narendra Modi before and during Lok Sabha election 2019, life has come a full circle for Rahul Gandhi who will now attend the swearing-in ceremony of his nemesis.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that both Rahul and his mother - UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi - will attend Thursday's oath-taking ceremony which will see Narendra Modi take over as PM of the country for the second successive term. The ceremony will once again take place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and several national and international dignitaries are expected here.

The ceremony could well be a stamp on Congress' massive electoral defeat which saw the party winning just 52 seats. The party was routed in almost every state by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party which cruised past the 300-seat mark on its own. This despite a furious campaign led against the BJP by Rahul who had attacked the National Democratic Alliance government on numerous fronts - from farmer-issues to jobs and more. Rahul had also singled out PM Modi, referring to him as a thief and had alleged wrongdoings in the deal for Rafale fighter jets with France's Dassault Aviation. In the end, all of it came to nought and Rahul took full responsibility for Congress' loss. He has even decided to step down as Congress chief - a decision that has not gone down well with party workers and leaders.

Rahul, however, is not the only political adversary of PM Modi who is currently licking his wounds from defeat in Lok Sabha election 2019.

Mamata Banerjee too had led an intense and bitter campaign against PM Modi and the BJP. The TMC chief is believed to have harboured dreams of becoming the next PM. All she received, in the end, was an invite for the swearing-in ceremony which was eventually turned down by the West Bengal CM.

In Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal was no less of a critic of PM Modi but his Aam Aadmi Party was swept aside as BJP triumphed in all seven parliamentary seats here. Kejriwal has received an invite for Thursday's ceremony and has confirmed his presence.

The ceremony will start from 7 pm and the Rashtrapati Bhavan is all decked up to welcome Narendra Modi as the PM once again.