Suvendu Adhikari took oath as West Bengal’s first BJP Chief Minister, marking a significant political development in West Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda and Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami, attended the swearing-in ceremony. (Also read: Prosenjit Chatterjee says he did not make any calls after WB election results: ‘Don’t put any political colour on me’)
Bengali stars attend swearing-in ceremony
Also present at the ceremony were a host of stars from the Bengali film industry. Prosenjit Chatterjee was seen at the ceremony dressed in a white shirt. Actor Jeet also arrived at the venue early in the day. Known for largely staying away from political events, his presence drew considerable attention. Actor Jisshu Sengupta was also spotted at the ceremony wearing a light brown shirt and black sunglasses.
Among other notable attendees were renowned classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and dancer Mamata Shankar. “I will only wish there is change for good, something good and positive for our state in every sphere,” Shankar said. Actor Rishi Kaushik was also present, along with several artistes from the Bengali television industry. Actor Payel Sarkar, a former BJP leader, also attended the event.
What Suvendu Adhikari’s parents said
Stating that Adhikari worked tirelessly, his mother said, “He has imbibed the fighting spirit from his father to become what he is today; his father was also like this.” Suvendu Adhikari’s father, Sisir Adhikari, was a three-time TMC MP from the Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency. The family shifted allegiance to the BJP in the run-up to the 2021 Assembly polls.
Gayatri Adhikari said her son fought tirelessly against the TMC for the past five years. “I will ask him to now work for giving justice to the R G Kar rape-murder victim and all others who faced atrocities,” she said.
During the ceremony, PM Modi walked onto the stage and knelt down facing the crowd and touched his forehead to the dais with folded hands in a mark of reverence to the people’s mandate, drawing loud cheers from thousands of BJP supporters packed into the historic venue. The BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member assembly in the recently concluded elections, ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule and scripting its most significant electoral breakthrough in eastern India.
