Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah are likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony of West Bengal’s first BJP government on May 9, according to state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.
Bhattacharya said the new government will take oath at 10 am at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.
The ceremony will take place on the 25th day of Baisakh, celebrated across Bengal as Rabindra Jayanti, marking Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary. The date carries major cultural significance and is being viewed in political circles as an effort by the BJP to connect its historic political breakthrough with Bengal’s cultural identity.
According to party sources, the timing may also be aimed at challenging the Trinamool Congress’ long-standing portrayal of the BJP as politically disconnected from Bengal’s language and intellectual traditions.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to resign despite the election outcome. Speaking in Kolkata, she claimed the voting process was manipulated and alleged that votes were taken by force.
Banerjee also accused the Election Commission of bias, calling the election process a dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy.
