Gandhinagar, Dec 25 (ANI): Narendra Modi was today
sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the third consecutive
time at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Gandhinagar.

Governor Naval Kishore Sharma administered the oath of office in Gujarati to Modi.

BJP supporters congregated at the stadium for the occasion.

The party's prime ministerial candidate, L K Advani, besides BJP Chief Ministers and leaders were also present.

Earlier, the swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to
take place on December 27, but it was re-scheduled in view of the
birthday of senior BJP leader A B Vajpayee today.

Modi was unanimously elected as the leader of the
Gujarat BJP Legislature Party on Monday. Modi met Sharma and submitted
his resignation. The Governor dissolved the present Assembly and asked
him to continue as the 'care-taker' Chief Minister till the new
government is formed.

The BJP registered a thumping victory by winning in
117 seats, ten less from its 2002 figure. The Congress on the other
hand managed to win 59 assembly seats.

Modi registered a victory in the Maninagar Assembly
constituency by defeating Congress' candidate and Union Minister of
State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dinsha Patel by 87, 000 votes.

Modi became Gujarat's Chief Minister in October
2001, promoted to that office when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel
resigned, following the defeat of the BJP in by-elections.

He was re-elected in December 2002 as chief minister with 126 seats in the 182-member assembly.

His term has been both attacked for mismanagement of
and complicity in the 2002 Gujarat violence, and praised for being an
excellent administrator who turned Gujarat into an economic powerhouse.
(ANI)