WASHINGTON (TIP): President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have formed a Presidential Inaugural Committee with Indian-American Maju Varghese as executive director to plan the festivities surrounding their swearing-in on Jan. 20. Varghese, who played a key role in the duo’s campaign as its chief operating officer and senior adviser, will be joined by CEO Tony Allen, president of Delaware State University.

Nevada state Sen. Yvanna Cancela and Erin Wilson, the Biden-Harris campaign’s national political director, will both serve as deputy executive directors on the inaugural committee.

Accompanying Biden and Harris’ announcement on Monday was the committee’s digital rollout, including a new website featuring an online store “with exclusive inaugural merchandise and collectables.”

Articles on sale include Kamala Black T-Shirt for $30.00, Biden/Harris Navy T-Shirt for $30.00 and Biden/Harris Water Bottle for $25.00. A lawyer by training Varghese is the son of immigrant parents from Thiruvalla, Kerala. He ran the logistics for the nationwide, multi-million-dollar effort to elect Biden and Harris, mobilizing tens of thousands of staff and volunteers. Varghese had worked for former President Barack Obama as his special assistant and deputy director of advance, a position in which he worked on organizing his travel in the US and abroad.

One of those assignments was organizing Obama’s January 2015 historic trip to India where he was the chief guest at the annual Republic Day parade. Varghese later became assistant to the President for administration and management and oversaw the White House complex.

It remains unclear how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will affect planning for the 59th presidential inauguration in less than two months, as public health experts warn of surging caseloads during the holiday season.

Allen, the committee’s CEO, acknowledged in a statement that “this year’s inauguration will look different amid the pandemic, but we will honor the American inaugural traditions and engage Americans across the country while keeping everybody healthy and safe.”

The social highlight of inaugurations has been the inaugural ball, a formal dance by the President and the Vice President and their spouses, and the invitees. Several entertainments are also organized for the rest of the crowds attending the inaugurations.

Congress is officially in charge of the formal swearing-in portion of the inauguration and has the bi-partisan Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to hold the ceremony at the Capitol, the Congress complex.

The current committee is headed by Republican Senator Roy Blunt and includes Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

But the winning presidential candidates set up their own committees to work with it and to organize other celebrations and raise funds for the events.