While Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a farewell dinner for him on Saturday, the MPs from both Houses of Parliament will give him a farewell on Sunday evening in Parliament's Central Hall, where his successor Ram Nath Kovind will be sworn in on Tuesday.
President Pranab Mukherjee, who steps down on Monday on completing his five-year term, has a series of farewells lined up for him. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a farewell dinner for him on Saturday, the MPs from both Houses of Parliament will give him a farewell on Sunday evening in Parliament's Central Hall, where his successor Ram Nath Kovind will be sworn in on Tuesday.
At the sprawling Hyderabad House, Prime Minister Modi presented a memento to Mukherjee in keeping with the tradition followed during such send-off. The dinner was attended by President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, senior ministers and various Opposition leaders. Mukherjee also signed the visitors' book at Hyderabad House last time as president. Besides the PM, he was received and then accompanied by Vice-president Hamid Ansari, President-elect Ram Nath Kovind and his wife. Those present at the farewell said besides greeting Kovid, Mukherjee thanked the PM for his cooperation and maintaining excellent relations with Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Mukherjee was reportedly brimming with incidents when PM used to approach him for guidance. Also how his office managed to arrange a gathering of all SAARC leaders Modi wanted to invite for his oath ceremony.
Also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, he was given a farewell by the Chiefs of Staff Committee on Friday. In a simple function held at the Manekshaw Centre, the president interacted with senior military officers and in his farewell address, extended his best wishes to all members of the armed forces and their families.
Though JD(U) leader KC Tyagi had stressed that not much should be read into Bihar Chief Minister Nitish attending the dinner, the latter's presence at the farewell has set tongues wagging. Kumar had specially flown in to attend the dinner.
Tyagi pointed out that Nitish had backed Mukherjee for President in 2012 despite being in the NDA at the time and that he shared a "special relationship" with the outgoing President. As such it is "natural for Kumar to attend a dinner hosted in honour of the outgoing President", Tyagi said. It was also "natural" for Nitish to attend Kovind's oath-taking as Nitish had backed his candidature, Tyagi said.
Analysis
Nitish Kumar was the only Opposition CM to attend dinner hosted by PM Modi for outgoing President
The development comes amid rumours of rift between JD(U) and RJD, the coalition partners in Bihar
Nitish had also skipped an Oppn meeting a day before attending the lunch hosted by Modi in honour of Mauritius PM
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