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India's West Bengal new govt to take oath on May 9, says BJP chief
May 9 is birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. Indian home minister Amit Shah reached Kolkata on Wednesday to meet newly-elected party legislators and decide on new chief minister
- PUBLISHED: Wed 6 May 2026, 3:57 PM
The BJP — which scored a dramatic victory in West Bengal, winning 207 of the 293 seats in the state — is gearing up for a quick swearing-in of the new government.
Indian home minister Amit Shah, who has been appointed as the central observer for the chief minister’s election, reached Kolkata on Wednesday and will meet the newly-elected party legislators and decide on the new chief minister.
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The BJP legislative party will meet in Kolkata on Friday to discuss formation of the new government. The BJP announced that the new government would be sworn in on Saturday, May 9, 2026, the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
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“The Prime Minister has already announced the day, Pochishe Boisakh, May 9,” Samik Bhattacharya, the state BJP chief told the media. “It is the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore. It will be held on that day. It was our old commitment that we would run the government from the Writers’ Buildings.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the event, according to BJP sources.
Suvendu Adhikari, who is seen as the likely new chief minister, defeated Mamata in Bhabanipur and also won from Nandigram. He told reporters that he would vacate one of the two constituencies over the next 10 days. Adhikari, formerly a close aide of Mamata, defeated her with a margin of over 15,000 votes.
Gyanesh Kumar, the state’s chief election commissioner directed the police to arrest those involved in post-election violence and vandalism. Three persons were killed in violent incidents after the results were announced.
Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress suffered a stunning defeat, winning just 80 seats, however, rejected the results and asserted she will not resign as the chief minister.
“I will not resign as I did not lose the elections,” she told reporters. “Officially through the Election Commission, they (the BJP) can defeat us, but morally we won.”
Security arrangements outside the homes of Mamata and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee were scaled down on Wednesday.
Two former chief secretaries of the government, Alapan Bandyopadhyay and H.K. Dwivedi, have quit as chief advisors to Mamata.
