Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on Thursday, on eve of Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in. (Express Photo by: Nagendra Kumar Singh) Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on Thursday, on eve of Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in. (Express Photo by: Nagendra Kumar Singh)

Patna’s Gandhi Maidan is ready for the swearing-in ceremony of Nitish Kumar as Bihar’s Chief Minister for the fifth time on Friday. The state police have made elaborate arrangements at the venue, which is likely to receive over 50 VVIPs, including nine chief ministers, besides nearly 1.5 lakh people.

Forty CCTV cameras have been put up at the sprawling venue that will be guarded by about 2,000 policemen including 30 deputy superintendents of police. Some of the important guests who have confirmed their presence at the function include former PM H D Deve Gowda, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. Several former CMs will also attend the event.

Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Patna Divisional Commissioner Anand Kishore, Nitish Kumar’s publicity manager Prashant Kishor took stock of the preparations for the event, which is being touted as the first show of a proposed national anti-BJP front.

After inspecting the venue, Kishore said: “No heavy vehicle will be allowed to pass through Patna after midnight. Traffic routes have been diverted. There will be police deployment from the airport to Gandhi Maidan.”

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