TMC not to attend Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony

Prahlad Joshi called and invited us to attend the swearing-in ceremony, but our party has decided not to participate, says Sudip Bandyopadhyay

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) will not attend Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, said Sudip Bandyopadhyay, the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha.

“BJP leader Prahlad Joshi had called and invited us to attend the swearing-in ceremony, but our party has decided not to participate,” Bandyopadhyay said.

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On Saturday, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had announced that the party would not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. “Neither have we received an invitation nor are we attending it,” she had said.

Narendra Modi is set to take oath as Prime Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.15 pm on Sunday. Before the ceremony, those set to be part of the council of ministers are scheduled to attend a tea party at the Prime Minister’s residence.

Santanu Thakur, one of the 12 BJP MPs from Bengal, is likely to get a ministerial berth, sources said. Thakur, the former minister of state for ports, shipping, and waterways, neither confirmed nor denied receiving an invitation to the tea event.

During a closed-door meeting with MPs, Banerjee expressed her belief that the NDA government would not complete its full term. “Mamata Didi told us that she is confident that with BJP not getting the majority mark, the NDA government won’t last long,” a senior TMC leader present at the meeting said.