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Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh greets new Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot looks on at the oath ceremony in Jaipur. Image Credit: PTI

Jaipur: Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot was sworn in as chief minister of Rajasthan for the third time, while Sachin Pilot took oath as deputy chief minister at the Albert Hall here on Monday.

Governor Kalyan Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to them in the presence of Congress President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Among those at the ceremony was NCP chief Sharad Pawar, chief ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), H.D. Kumaraswamy (Karnataka) and V. Narayanasamy (Puducherry), former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, DMK leader M.K. Stalin, JMM leader Hemant Soren and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha chief Babulal Marandi.

Former Rajasthan chief minister and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje also attended the event along with Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kumari Selja, Jitin Prasad and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

The Congress rode to power in Rajasthan after five years, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assembly elections.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday thanked the people of Rajasthan for believing in the party and vowed that the state government would fulfil its responsibilities.

His remarks came after senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot was Monday sworn in as the chief minister of Rajasthan at a ceremony here, while Sachin Pilot took oath as a cabinet minister. The party announced that Pilot will be the state’s deputy chief minister.

“Thanks to the people of Rajasthan for believing in the Congress. Congratulations to the leaders and workers of the Congress for the success of their struggle,” he tweeted.

“It is an honour for the Congress party to serve Rajasthan. We will fulfil our responsibility,” he added.

Gandhi also tweeted photographs from the swearing-in ceremony and of a bus in which top opposition leaders were seen sitting with him. The leaders included Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, DMK president M.K. Stalin, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.