Bhubaneswar: As one headed closer to the Exhibition Ground — the venue of BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday — the excitement in the air was palpable.
Unlike Naveen’s previous oath-taking ceremonies, which were low-key and held within the confines of the Raj Bhavan, Wednesday’s event was grand and held in full public view. Plus, the fact that he was taking the oath of office for a record fifth time added to the buzz around the Exhibition Ground.
People began entering the temporary hall set up on the ground from 8 am, nearly three hours before the official beginning of the event at 10.30 am. Security was tight and the visitors had to undergo several rounds of checking to gain access to the venue.
Naveen’s elder brother, businessman Prem Patnaik, and his sister, writer Gita Mehta, were among the 7,000-odd dignitaries who attended the event. The invitees included people from all parts of the state, as well as top industrialists of the country. Leaders from different political parties and the newly elected MPs and MLAs also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Occupying a large chunk of the seats inside the hall were members of women’s self-help groups. Sounds of ‘hula huli’ or ululation rang out after Naveen finished taking the oath of office. People cheered and clapped, as slogans of ‘Naveen Patnaik zindabad’ filled the air.
Placed on every chair inside the hall was a bottle of water, a packet of biscuits and a sachet of lassi. Screens put up inside the venue gave a clear picture of the action on stage. After Naveen, members of his cabinet and the state ministers took the oath of office.
The excitement wasn’t just confined to the hall. Across the city, people watched the ceremony on their television screens and tried to identify the VIP guests whose faces were flashed on the screens. A fan of Naveen’s outside the venue caught the eye of both the public and the media for cutting his hair in a way that the word ‘Naveen’ was spelt on his head.
Unlike Naveen’s previous oath-taking ceremonies, which were low-key and held within the confines of the Raj Bhavan, Wednesday’s event was grand and held in full public view. Plus, the fact that he was taking the oath of office for a record fifth time added to the buzz around the Exhibition Ground.
People began entering the temporary hall set up on the ground from 8 am, nearly three hours before the official beginning of the event at 10.30 am. Security was tight and the visitors had to undergo several rounds of checking to gain access to the venue.
Naveen’s elder brother, businessman Prem Patnaik, and his sister, writer Gita Mehta, were among the 7,000-odd dignitaries who attended the event. The invitees included people from all parts of the state, as well as top industrialists of the country. Leaders from different political parties and the newly elected MPs and MLAs also attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Occupying a large chunk of the seats inside the hall were members of women’s self-help groups. Sounds of ‘hula huli’ or ululation rang out after Naveen finished taking the oath of office. People cheered and clapped, as slogans of ‘Naveen Patnaik zindabad’ filled the air.
Placed on every chair inside the hall was a bottle of water, a packet of biscuits and a sachet of lassi. Screens put up inside the venue gave a clear picture of the action on stage. After Naveen, members of his cabinet and the state ministers took the oath of office.
The excitement wasn’t just confined to the hall. Across the city, people watched the ceremony on their television screens and tried to identify the VIP guests whose faces were flashed on the screens. A fan of Naveen’s outside the venue caught the eye of both the public and the media for cutting his hair in a way that the word ‘Naveen’ was spelt on his head.
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