Agencies | New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s first government in West Bengal, scheduled to be held on May 9 at Kolkata’s iconic Brigade Parade Ground.
The ceremony is being viewed as a watershed political moment, marking the BJP’s rise to power in a state where the party had struggled for decades to establish a significant electoral presence. Several Union ministers, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states are also expected to participate in the event.
While the BJP has not yet officially announced its chief ministerial candidate, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is widely regarded as the frontrunner for the top post. Other names reportedly under consideration include state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, Union minister Sukanta Majumdar and former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta.
Announcing the swearing-in schedule, Bhattacharya said the new BJP government would take oath at 10 am on May 9.
Significantly, the ceremony coincides with Rabindra Jayanti, celebrated across Bengal as the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Party leaders believe the choice of date carries strong cultural symbolism and reflects the BJP’s effort to connect with Bengal’s literary and intellectual traditions.
During the election campaign, Amit Shah repeatedly emphasised that the BJP’s chief ministerial face would be a “son of the soil” — born and educated in Bengal — in an apparent attempt to counter the Trinamool Congress’s long-standing allegation that the BJP represented an “outsider” political culture.
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari, who secured victories from both Bhabanipur and Nandigram constituencies, confirmed that he would vacate one seat in accordance with party directives.
“I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which constituency I retain. I will continue to fulfil my responsibilities towards the people of both Bhabanipur and Nandigram,” Adhikari said.
The upcoming ceremony is expected to draw national political attention, symbolising a major shift in Bengal’s political landscape and potentially reshaping the balance of power in eastern India.
