Vijay skips Kerala swearing-in amid security, crowd management concerns: Sources
Sources said Vijay had no plans to visit Kerala for the ceremony despite being invited earlier, with officials citing administrative commitments and fears that his presence could trigger massive crowd surges and create logistical challenges for law enforcement agencies.
Newly sworn-in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Kerala chief minister-designate VD Satheesan on Monday, with sources citing a mix of administrative commitments and security concerns behind the decision.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which stormed back to power in Kerala after a decade in opposition, is set to take oath at a high-profile ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram in the presence of senior Congress leaders, chief ministers and alliance leaders from across the country.
While initial indications suggested Vijay had been invited to the event alongside the chief ministers of Karnataka and Telangana, sources said there were ultimately no plans for the Tamil Nadu chief minister to travel to Kerala.
Officials reportedly assessed that Vijay’s massive popularity could trigger unprecedented crowd surges and complicate security arrangements at an event already expected to witness heavy public turnout and the presence of multiple VIPs.
Vijay’s previous visits to Kerala have drawn enormous crowds, often leading to traffic disruptions and logistical pressure on local authorities.
SHASHI THAROOR MISSES CEREMONY
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also skipped the swearing-in ceremony, though for different reasons. In a post on X last week, Tharoor said he was in the United States to deliver the commencement address at the graduation ceremony of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, his alma mater, and to attend the 50th anniversary reunion of his graduating class.
“I’m sorry to be missing the swearing-in ceremony of my Congress colleague and new CM of Kerala VD Satheesan,” Tharoor wrote. He added that it was “an occasion for celebrating the past in the US even as I look forward to the future in Kerala.”
Tharoor’s absence has drawn attention amid his known differences with sections of the Congress leadership in the state.
TOP CONGRESS LEADERS IN ATTENDANCE
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar were also seen heading to the venue.
Veteran CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam and IUML state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal were among the other prominent leaders attending the ceremony.
THOUSANDS OF UDF WORKERS THRONG VENUE
Thousands of UDF workers and supporters from across Kerala gathered at the Central Stadium venue from early morning, turning large parts of the capital into a sea of Congress and alliance flags.
Supporters dressed in white khadi shirts and mundu packed the venue and surrounding roads, raising slogans in favour of the UDF and celebrating the alliance’s return to power after a decade.
Many who could not enter the packed stadium gathered outside the venue, dancing to drum beats and cheering as leaders arrived for the ceremony.
The Congress-led UDF returned to power in Kerala with a landslide victory in the Assembly polls, winning 102 seats in the 140-member House. The Left Democratic Front secured 35 seats, while the BJP won three.
Newly sworn-in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Kerala chief minister-designate VD Satheesan on Monday, with sources citing a mix of administrative commitments and security concerns behind the decision.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which stormed back to power in Kerala after a decade in opposition, is set to take oath at a high-profile ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram in the presence of senior Congress leaders, chief ministers and alliance leaders from across the country.
While initial indications suggested Vijay had been invited to the event alongside the chief ministers of Karnataka and Telangana, sources said there were ultimately no plans for the Tamil Nadu chief minister to travel to Kerala.
Officials reportedly assessed that Vijay’s massive popularity could trigger unprecedented crowd surges and complicate security arrangements at an event already expected to witness heavy public turnout and the presence of multiple VIPs.
Vijay’s previous visits to Kerala have drawn enormous crowds, often leading to traffic disruptions and logistical pressure on local authorities.
SHASHI THAROOR MISSES CEREMONY
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also skipped the swearing-in ceremony, though for different reasons. In a post on X last week, Tharoor said he was in the United States to deliver the commencement address at the graduation ceremony of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, his alma mater, and to attend the 50th anniversary reunion of his graduating class.
“I’m sorry to be missing the swearing-in ceremony of my Congress colleague and new CM of Kerala VD Satheesan,” Tharoor wrote. He added that it was “an occasion for celebrating the past in the US even as I look forward to the future in Kerala.”
Tharoor’s absence has drawn attention amid his known differences with sections of the Congress leadership in the state.
TOP CONGRESS LEADERS IN ATTENDANCE
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar were also seen heading to the venue.
Veteran CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam and IUML state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal were among the other prominent leaders attending the ceremony.
THOUSANDS OF UDF WORKERS THRONG VENUE
Thousands of UDF workers and supporters from across Kerala gathered at the Central Stadium venue from early morning, turning large parts of the capital into a sea of Congress and alliance flags.
Supporters dressed in white khadi shirts and mundu packed the venue and surrounding roads, raising slogans in favour of the UDF and celebrating the alliance’s return to power after a decade.
Many who could not enter the packed stadium gathered outside the venue, dancing to drum beats and cheering as leaders arrived for the ceremony.
The Congress-led UDF returned to power in Kerala with a landslide victory in the Assembly polls, winning 102 seats in the 140-member House. The Left Democratic Front secured 35 seats, while the BJP won three.
