Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata today, 8 May ahead of the key meeting with the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs, during which they will select the party’s legislative leader.
Shah was received at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, among others. From the airport, he went to a hotel in New Town. Adhikari is a key contendor for the chief ministerial post.
In the afternoon, Shah will attend the legislature party meeting of the BJP at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre.
The BJP scripted history by winning 207 seats in the 294-member Bengal assembly, ending Mamata Banerjee-led TMC’s 15-year rule in the state. On 7 May, the Governor of West Bengal, RN Ravi, dissolved the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.
The new chief minister of the state and the council of ministers will be sworn in on 9 May, coinciding with Rabindranath Tagore’sbirth anniversary.
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While several names are being considered, including Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh, Sukanta Majumdar, Samik Bhattacharya, and Agnimitra Paul, the BJP legislative leader will be selected in a meeting with new MLAs attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The new chief minister and council of ministers are scheduled to be sworn in on May 9, which coincides with the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram on May 6, shortly after the BJP’s victory in the West Bengal elections.
Suvendu Adhikari stated that the murder occurred because Rath was his executive assistant and that Adhikari had defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. BJP leaders have described it as a planned political murder.
Yes, in 2013, Suvendu Adhikari’s former personal assistant, Pradip Jha, was found dead in Kolkata. Adhikari was a TMC MP at that time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior BJP leaders, and chief ministers from other states are expected to attend the swearing-in at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.
Who will be BJP’s first Bengal CM?
Several names have been doing the rounds for the top post in West Bengal, where the BJP will have the government for the first time since Independence. On top of the frontrunners’ list is Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur and was Leader of the Opposition in the last assembly.
Other names on the list include Dilip Ghosh, former state BJP president, Sukanta Majumdar, Union Minister and Samik Bhattacharya, the state BJP president. West Bengal BJP vice-president Agnimitra Paul is also among the names being considered for the post of chief minister.
The political temperature soared after Governor Ravi on Thursday dissolved the Legislative Assembly ahead of the formation of a new BJP government, even as West Bengal witnessed post-poll violence, including the murder of Adhikari’s personal assistant, Chandranath Rath.
The dramatic political transition has unfolded amid explosive allegations, emotional appeals, violent clashes and accusations of “murder of democracy” from the Opposition camp.
Mamata’s defiant note
Outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier struck a defiant tone during a meeting with newly elected TMC MLAs, declaring she would not resign despite the electoral defeat. Banerjee alleged that the elections were manipulated through force and intimidation and claimed the BJP had not achieved a moral victory.
“This was not an election but an atrocity,” she said, while alleging that over 1,500 TMC offices had been “hijacked” after the results.
BJP leaders celebrated the dissolution as the symbolic end of Mamata Banerjee’s rule. Locket Chatterjee said, “The public had already removed Mamata Banerjee from their hearts, and as per the Constitution, from today she is no longer the chief minister.”
In a dramatic show of Opposition solidarity, Akhilesh Yadav met Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata on Thursday.
Killing of Suvendu Adhikari’s aide
Even before the BJP government could formally take oath, the killing of Rath triggered a major political storm across Bengal.
Rath, a former Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, was allegedly shot dead near Madhyamgram on Wednesday night. Speaking while Rath’s mortal remains were brought to his residence in Madhyamgram, Adhikari described the killing as a “premeditated murder.”
The public had already removed Mamata Banerjee from their hearts.
“He was killed because he was my aide, and I defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. This could be the reason for his murder,” Adhikari alleged.
Key Takeaways
- The BJP’s victory signifies a major political shift in West Bengal after 15 years of TMC rule.
- Political violence continues to mar the transition, highlighting tensions between parties.
- Amit Shah’s meeting with newly elected MLAs is critical for establishing BJP’s leadership in the state.
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