Manmohan takes oath as PM, 19 ministers sworn in
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday took oath along with 19 Cabinet colleagues to begin a second five-year term at the head of a multi-party government in which his Congress party is the overwhelmingly dominant partner after a sweeping win in General Elections.
He is only the second prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to have a second innings after a successful five-year term.
There were four new faces in the first edition of the Union Cabinet that is expected to be followed up by another expansion of the Council of Ministers in the next few days. All the others were in the outgoing Cabinet. All but two were from the Congress party.
Overseen by President Pratibha Patil, Manmohan Singh, 76, was the first to take oath at a 45-minute function at the ornate Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is the first time she has administered the oath of office.
In the front rows of the ceremony was a sombre-looking LK Advani, who was the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Source Courtesy From - DPA - ANI - earthtimes.org -
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