KOLKATA: West Bengal is set to witness a historic political shift on Saturday as the state’s first BJP government takes oath, with Chief Minister-designate Suvendu Adhikari and his new Cabinet scheduled to be sworn in at 10 a.m.
The swearing-in ceremony is being held on Rabindra Jayanti, marking the birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore according to the Bengali calendar. The BJP’s West Bengal unit deliberately chose the date to counter the Trinamool Congress’ campaign branding the party as “Anti-Bengali.”
State BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said the timing reflects the party’s respect for Bengali culture and heritage.
PM Modi, Amit Shah to Attend Ceremony
The oath-taking ceremony will be held at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata and administered by Governor Ravi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, Union ministers and senior BJP leaders.
Following the ceremony, Adhikari and his Cabinet colleagues are expected to assume charge from the historic Writers’ Buildings in central Kolkata instead of Nabanna in Howrah, which served as the state secretariat during the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.
Writers’ Buildings to Return as Secretariat
Nabanna became the state secretariat in 2013 after Mamata Banerjee shifted administrative operations from Writers’ Buildings. The BJP government has now decided to restore Writers’ Buildings as the administrative headquarters of West Bengal.
Adhikari has also indicated that his government will function on the principle of “collective leadership”.
“It will not be ‘I’ who will govern the state. It will be ‘we’ who will govern the state,” Adhikari said, adding that the new government would maintain strong coordination with the Centre.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress announced that while the BJP government takes oath at Brigade Parade Ground, the party will separately celebrate Rabindra Jayanti at Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat.
