With the change of power in West Bengal, a new political chapter is going to start on May 9. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will organize the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of the state on Tagore Jayanti (Ravindra Jayanti)—that is, May 9. This event is being seen as a confluence of both the cultural heritage of Bengal and its political transformation. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said, “The swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Minister of West Bengal will be held on May 9.”
PM Modi had already indicated
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hinted at this special date during his last election speech. Addressing a rally in Barrackpore, he had said, “After the results on May 4, I will return to Bengal to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP.”
PM Modi talked about BJP’s victory in Bengal
After the historic mandate came out on Monday, Modi addressed party workers at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, where he invoked the ideals of Rabindranath Tagore. He said that BJP’s resolve is to create a Bengal “where the mind is free from fear and the head is held high with pride”—a sentiment echoing the immortal lines of Gurudev Tagore.
Formal procedures underway
Meanwhile, senior Election Commission officials—Principal Secretary S.B. Joshi and Secretary Sujit Kumar Mishra—are scheduled to reach Kolkata from Delhi today (May 5). They will hand over the official gazette notification related to the election results to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Manoj Kumar Agarwal. Subsequently, on May 6, the CEO was formally inaugurated by Governor R.N. Will inform Ravi about the details. As per constitutional protocol, the Governor will invite the outgoing Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, to submit her resignation. According to sources, the Governor may then request him to continue as acting Chief Minister till the swearing-in ceremony takes place, so as to ensure administrative continuity.
May 9 was not chosen for nothing
According to sources, the move to schedule the swearing-in ceremony on 25 *Baishakh* (popularly known as *Pochishe Baishakh*)—that is, the day of Rabindra Jayanti, after *Poila Baishakh* not only holds administrative significance, but also has deep emotional and cultural significance. Tagore is a personality whose poetry, music and humanist philosophy are considered the soul of Bengali identity. For this reason, this day is celebrated with full enthusiasm like a festival in Bengal.
After more than four decades of rule—first by the Left Front and then by the Trinamool Congress—the formation of the BJP government is being seen as a turning point in the political history of Bengal. The swearing-in ceremony, which falls on the occasion of Tagore Jayanti, is being seen not only as a transfer of power but also as a symbolic emergence of a “new Bengal”. A formal announcement is expected soon at the official level, while preparations for the swearing-in ceremony are going on in full swing.