Bengal's first BJP govt to take oath at Brigade Parade grounds

KOLKATA, May 6: The chief minister and ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first government in West Bengal will take oath at Kolkata's historic Brigade Parade Ground on May 9 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states, a senior party leader said on Wednesday.

Bengal's first BJP govt to take oath at Brigade Parade Ground on May 9 (Representative photo)

"The new BJP government will take oath on May 9 at 10 am at Brigade Parade Ground," Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya announced.

This is the first time the Bengal chief minister will take oath in a public place rather than the governor's official residence, the usual venue in the past.

"The selection of ministers will happen at a legislative party meeting at 4 pm on May 8 in the presence of our senior central leaders," he added.

Shah is the party's central observer for the selection of Bengal ministers, and Odisha chief minister Mohan Majhi is the co-observer. The legislative party meeting will be held at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town, one of the major projects of the outgoing Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

Shah, BJP leaders said, is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Thursday.
After the Bengal poll results were announced on May 4-the BJP won 207 of 294 seats against the TMC's 80-the party leadership announced that the oath-taking ceremony will coincide with Pochishe Boishakh (the 25th day of the month of Boishakh), the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Located amid the greenery of the Maidan-which is under Vijay Durg (formerly Fort William), the Army's Eastern Command headquarters-the Brigade Parade Grounds has witnessed some of the biggest political events and rallies in India's history.    �"HT