With the top party leadership as well as the sadhu brigade — many of whom had overtly or covertly supported the BJP rebels — in attendance, Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn in as the Gujarat Chief Minister for the third time on Tuesday.

Governor Naval Kishore Sharma administered the oath of office in Gujarati amid a sea of saffron bandanas, and an almost hysterical crowd that had packed the stands and the ground of the Sardar Patel Stadium here. In the background, a team belted out Gujarati songs praising Hindutva and its hero’s victory.

On display was the grand pageantry that has come to be associated with Modi. On the left of the dais were the newly-elected 117 BJP MLAs. In front, was an enclosure for the sants, from whom Modi sought blessings.

The sadhus’ presence was the turnaround story of the day. Sitting on a raised enclosure was Mahant Avichaldas Maharaj of Sarsa, who has been at the forefront of the anti-Modi agitation in Saurashtra, pleading for the rout of BJP. Leading a delegation of sadhus, the Mahant had travelled in the tribal areas as part of his anti-Modi campaign. A day before Modi took out his roadshow in Panchmahals district, over 100 sadhus organised a rally urging people to vote out Modi. This was in complete contrast to 2002, when these sadhus had actively campaigned for the BJP.

But today, the sants stood to greet Modi as he made his entry, some bowed while others took his hands to their foreheads. A benign Modi accepted the blessings, but did not wear the garlands offered. He only accepted the silver crown from Bharti Bapu of the Bharti Ashram.

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