BJP Sets May 9 Swearing-In Date After Historic Bengal Win, PM Modi, Amit Shah to Arrive Ahead of Ceremony

Senior West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including State President Samik Bhattacharya, on Wednesday announced that the party will hold a legislative party meeting on May 8 at 4 pm to elect its legislative leader, followed by a swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 9 at 10 am.

Speaking after a meeting at Nabanna ahead of government formation, Bhattacharya said, "On 9th May at 10 am, PM, HM, Union Health Minister, our national president, all senior leaders of the BJP and CMs of 20 states will attend the ceremony (swearing-in ceremony)."

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit West Bengal on Thursday evening as part of the party's ongoing post-election political engagements following its historic performance in the state.

According to the top BJP sources, Amit Shah will first attend the cabinet expansion oath-taking ceremony in Bihar and will subsequently depart directly from there to West Bengal.

His visit is being seen as significant, coming at a crucial juncture when the party is actively engaged in post-election strategy and government formation discussions.

Earlier on Tuesday, Shah was appointed as the BJP's central observer for West Bengal, while Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has been named as the central co-observer.

In a parallel development, Union Minister JP Nadda has been designated as the central observer for the election of the party's legislative leader in Assam, with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini appointed as co-observer.

BJP created history a day earlier in the assembly polls results, with the party slated to form its first government in West Bengal and the party-led NDA scoring a hat-trick of victories in Assam.

As per the latest data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the BJP has secured 206 seats out of 294 seats in West Bengal, outperforming its 77-seat tally in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Trinamool Congress, which swept the last assembly poll by winning 212 seats, finished a distant second with 80 seats.

(With inputs from ANI)