Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to form the new government in West Bengal on May 9, with the swearing-in ceremony expected to coincide with Rabindra Jayanti, a date loaded with cultural significance in the state.
According to party sources, the oath-taking ceremony is being planned as a symbolic political moment marking the beginning of a new chapter in Bengal’s political landscape. Samik Bhattacharya confirmed the likely date, stating that the new Chief Minister of West Bengal is expected to take oath on May 9.
During his final campaign rally in Barrackpore, Narendra Modi had strongly hinted at the timeline, saying he would return to Bengal after the results to attend the BJP’s swearing-in ceremony.
After the party’s strong showing in the assembly election, Modi again invoked the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore while addressing workers in New Delhi. Referring to Tagore’s iconic vision of a fearless society, he said the BJP aims to build a Bengal “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.”
Senior officials of the Election Commission of India — including Principal Secretary S B 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.
Following that, Agarwal is expected to formally brief Governor RN Ravi on May 6. As per constitutional procedure, the Governor is likely to invite outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to submit her resignation and continue in a caretaker capacity until the new government is sworn in.
The choice of Pochishe Boishakh, the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh, adds deep emotional resonance. In West Bengal, Rabindra Jayanti is more than a commemorative occasion — it is a celebration of Bengali identity itself. Tagore’s songs, poetry, literature and philosophy remain woven into the everyday cultural life of the state.
If formalised, the swearing-in would mark a major political turning point, with the BJP poised to end decades of dominance by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left and the All India Trinamool Congress in Bengal. An official announcement is expected soon as preparations gather pace.
