Gandhinagar, Dec 30 (IANS) Gujarat will kickstart its golden jubilee celebrations on the first day of the new year, with a three-hour meeting in the state assembly where over 750 past and present legislators and parliamentarians will get together.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Ashok Bhatt Wednesday told reporters that union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, other union cabinet ministers including Dinsha Patel, Bharatsinh Solanki, Tushar Chaudhary, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L.K. Advani, who is also the parliamentarian from Gandhinagar, and Arun Jaitley, and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel are slated to attend the ‘Swarnim Gujarat Sansadiya Parishad’ in the state Assembly Jan 1.

Former union minister Yogendra Makwana, besides former chief ministers Madhavsinh Solanki, Keshubhai Patel, Shankersinh Vaghela, Dilip Parikh and Suresh Mehta are slated to attend the Parishad along with former governors Viren Shah and Kumudben Joshi.

The Gujarat Vidhan Sabha speaker termed it the first ever ‘mahaparishad’ of its kind in the country which would be presided over by state Governor Kamla Beniwal, addressed by Chief Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil of the Congress.

“The eminent personalities attending the parishad will be informed about the year-long calendar of events planned as part of the celebrations and the golden goals that Gujarat will set for itself in the golden jubilee year of its formation will be unfolded,” Bhatt said.

He added that the occasion would mark the unveiling of the portraits of the late Indulal Yagnik, who fought for the creation of Gujarat, former chief ministers and speakers.

“Besides bringing out a commemoration volume listing all the former members of the House, an audio-visual presentation on the five-decade-long developmental journey of the state will also be held. A cultural programme will also be presented in the evening,” Bhatt added.