Tapas sworn in as Bengal Assembly pro tem speaker

Senior BJP leader Tapas Roy was on Tuesday sworn in as the pro tem Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly, setting in motion the formal proceedings of the newly constituted House following the BJP’s historic victory in the recent Assembly elections.

The election for the Speaker’s post would take place on Friday, Roy said.

Roy was administered the oath as pro tem Speaker by West Bengal Governor RN Ravi at Lok Bhavan in the presence of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, newly inducted ministers and several newly elected MLAs.

Roy, veteran TMC leader and four-term MLA, had quit the party and had joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

He later said that oath-taking of the newly elected legislators would be held on Wednesday and Thursday, while the election for the Speaker’s post would take place on Friday.

Adhikari attended the ceremony shortly after returning to Kolkata from Assam, where he had participated in the swearing-in ceremony of Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier in the day.

The Assembly premises and adjoining areas wore a saffron hue on Tuesday evening, with parts of the Vidhan Sabha complex illuminated in saffron lights, reflecting the political transition in the state following the BJP’s maiden ascent to power in West Bengal. Although the state Assembly has 294 seats, oath-taking will be held for 290 MLAs over the next two days.