Kolkata: Newly elected representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are set to be sworn in to form the next government in West Bengal on May 9, a date that coincides with the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
The swearing-in ceremony, scheduled on the occasion of Rabindra Jayanti (Pochishe Boisakh), is expected to be a significant political and cultural moment in the state.
Among the frontrunners for the chief ministerial post is Suvendu Adhikari, who secured a major victory against incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency.
Adhikari defeated Banerjee by a margin of over 15,105 votes in the Assembly elections, the results of which were declared earlier this week.
The BJP registered a decisive mandate in the state, winning 206 seats in the Assembly, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 81 seats.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya confirmed the date of the oath-taking ceremony, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier announced May 9 as the chosen day.
During an election rally in Barrackpore in April, Modi had said he would return to Kolkata to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government.
Meanwhile, senior officials from the Election Commission of India, including Principal Secretary SB Joshi and Secretary Sujit Kumar Mishra, are expected to arrive in Kolkata to hand over the official gazette notification of the election results to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal.
The Chief Electoral Officer is likely to formally brief Governor RN Ravi on May 6 regarding the formation of the new government.
Rabindra Jayanti, observed on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Baishakh, holds deep cultural significance in West Bengal. The legacy of Tagore is celebrated through recitations, Rabindra Sangeet performances, and literary events across the state, adding symbolic importance to the day chosen for the oath-taking ceremony.