Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to Kolkata on May 9 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Brigade Parade Ground, scheduled for 10 am on Rabindra Jayanti. This fulfills a promise made earlier. Accompanying the Prime Minister on the dais will be Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President Nitin Nabin, and the chief ministers of all states governed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Amit Shah to Arrive on Friday
Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Friday to attend a meeting of BJP legislators at 4 pm and select the new chief minister. Suvendu Adhikari, who has defeated Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee twice in electoral contests, emerges as the leading candidate among the probables. For the deputy chief minister's post, a tribal legislator from north Bengal and a 'bhadralok' (gentleman) MLA from urban pockets of south Bengal are being considered. Bengal last had a deputy chief minister in 2000, when Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee served under then Chief Minister Jyoti Basu.
Preparations Underway
On Wednesday, preparations for the swearing-in ceremony began at the Brigade Parade Ground, with senior officers reviewing the ground layout. State BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya visited the state secretariat Nabanna to discuss details with the chief secretary and home secretary. “Shah will meet BJP MLAs on May 8. The leader of the legislature party will be announced there,” Bhattacharya said. Party seniors indicated that the meeting is likely to be held at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre. “We want to accommodate as many veteran workers as possible, and we will look to have the right mix of experienced and new candidates,” said a BJP senior in New Delhi.
Bhattacharya added that the state secretariat will eventually shift back to Writers' Buildings, fulfilling a promise made in 2021. Sources revealed that a large number of party seniors, celebrities, and Padma awardees would be invited to the swearing-in ceremony.
