Stalin, Mamata, Omar...: Mahakumbh guest list transcends political barriers

The guest list has been given to Uttar Pradesh ministers who will fan out across the country to invite governors and chief ministers to the Mahakumbh.

Symbolising the Prayagraj Mahakumbh’s inclusive appeal, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, besides a host of other leaders from politically asymmetrical ideologies, feature on the guest list for the mega event.

Floating barriers built on the Ganga for the upcoming Mahakumbh Mela, in Prayagraj (ANI PHOTO)

The guest list has been given to Uttar Pradesh ministers who will fan out across the country to invite governors and chief ministers to the Mahakumbh.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Delhi chief minister Atishi, her Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah are among the others being invited to the world’s largest gathering of people at any event combining faith, spirituality, culture, tradition and heritage.

Mahakumbh is a religious pilgrimage held four times over a course of 12 years at Haridwar, Ujjain, Nasik and Prayagraj. The mega religious fair will commence in Prayagraj at the Sangam -- the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati -- on January 13, 2025 and conclude on February 26.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the newly created Mahakumbh district and Prayagraj on December 13 to review preparations for the Mahakumbh and launch development projects that include the upgraded Prayagraj-Varanasi rail track.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath presided over a meeting of the state cabinet that on November 22 decided to send ministers to invite chief ministers and governors of all the states.

Those aware of the development said most of the ministers are coordinating with the dignitaries in different states, seeking appointments to complete their assignments.

Deputy chief ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya are among those being sent to extend invitations.

Pathak, who was at the swearing-in ceremony of new Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on Thursday, is likely to visit Mumbai again to invite Fadnavis. During the Mumbai visit, Pathak is likely to be accompanied by his cabinet colleague Sanjay Nishad who will also go to Rajasthan. Maurya will go to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to extend invitations.

Uttar Pradesh minister for finance Suresh Khanna will be in Bengaluru on December 13 and 14 to invite Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. Khanna will also visit Delhi soon to invite chief minister Atishi to Mahakumbh.

Minister of state (independent charge) JPS Rathor and Asim Arun are likely to visit Tamil Nadu next week to invite the CM there. Minister of state (independent charge) Sandip Singh along with minister of state Ajit Pal are coordinating with the authorities in Kerala to extend an invitation to Vijayan. Minister for agriculture Surya Pratap Shahi and minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh will leave for Assam in the next few days to invite Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Rakesh Sachan has been asked to invite Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Minister of state Danish Azad Ansari is part of the team deputed to invite Omar Abdullah.

Uttar Pradesh minister Baby Rani Maurya, who served as governor of Uttarakhand earlier, will undertake a visit to Dehradun to invite the hill state’s chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Energy and urban development minister AK Sharma, along with minister of state (independent charge) Kapil Dev Agarwal, is likely to invite Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel. Minister for panchayati raj, minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj OP Rajbhar is likely to visit Sikkim. Tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh has been asked to extend an invitation to Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu. Daya Shankar Mishra ‘Dayalu’ will visit Nagaland to invite Neiphiu Rio. Ashish Patel will leave for Tripura to invite chief minister Manik Saha.

Minister of state (independent charge) Arun Saxena and Sanjay Gangwar will leave for Kolkata to invite West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee. Chaudhary Laxmi Narain and Baldev Aulakh will invite Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.

Besides extending invitations and holding roadshows at important places in India, the state government also proposes to send its teams abroad for roadshows.