West Bengal: May 9 set for BJP’s historic swearing-in
Party remains tight-lipped on the CM face as internal deliberations continue
The swearing-in ceremony of the BJP’s first-ever Government in West Bengal will be held on May 9 at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground, State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya announced on Wednesday, barely 48 hours after the party’s landslide victory ended the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule in the State.
Bhattacharya, addressing reporters, confirmed, “The new BJP Government will take oath on May 9 at 10 am at Brigade Parade Ground.” The move is loaded with cultural and political symbolism. For the BJP, the swearing-in on the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore carries more than logistical convenience. The choice is being seen in political circles as a deliberate attempt by the BJP to embed its historic rise within Bengal’s cultural imagination and to blunt the TMC’s long-standing narrative that the saffron party is a “party of outsiders” disconnected from the State’s linguistic, literary and intellectual ethos.
The ceremony is expected to be a grand affair attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, national BJP president Nitin Nabin and several others.
A meeting of the newly elected BJP MLAs has been convened for the evening of May 8, when the legislature party is expected to formally elect its leader. However, the party leadership has so far remained tight-lipped about the chief ministerial face, keeping speculation rife.
Senior leaders have refused to name a frontrunner, saying the decision will be taken collectively by the elected representatives.
Preparations have already begun at the Brigade Parade Ground, one of Kolkata’s largest open venues, which has in the past hosted massive public rallies and Republic Day parades. Security agencies are working overtime to ensure foolproof arrangements for the high-profile event, which is likely to see the presence of chief ministers from BJP-ruled States as well.
Suvendu AIDE Shot dead
Kolkata: A close aide of Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead by unidentified assailants in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday night.
The victim, Chandranath Rath, who served as the executive assistant to the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, was attacked on a public road at Doharia in the Madhyamgram area, party sources said. Preliminary reports suggest that Rath was shot at close range by unidentified miscreants, who fled the spot immediately after the attack. He was rushed to a private hospital with critical injuries, where doctors later declared him dead. Following the incident, a heavy police deployment was made in the area as senior officers reached the spot and began an investigation. Efforts are underway to identify the attackers and establish the motive behind the killing. No arrests have been made so far. The incident has sent shock waves through West Bengal’s political circles. Newly elected BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tewari alleged political deterioration in the state, saying the situation reflected “a breakdown of peace”, while blaming the ruling establishment.
