It was on March 27, 2023, when the then-Governor C V Ananda Bose welcomed Droupadi Murmu on her maiden presidential visit to West Bengal. Almost three years later, this Saturday (March 7), a visit by President Murmu to West Bengal sparked an unprecedented constitutional and political row. The controversy started after President Murmu publicly expressed her displeasure over the absence of CM Banerjee and her ministers during her arrival at the Bagdogra airport in North Bengal, and also pointed to the shifting of the venue of an event that she attended.
Hours later, CM Banerjee accused President Murmu of playing politics during election time at the behest of the BJP.
In this article, we are listing a timeline of President Murmu’s official visits to Bengal and how the First Citizen was received each time by the West Bengal government upon her arrival.
As mentioned before, President Droupadi Murmu made her maiden visit to West Bengal on March 27, 2023, as part of a two-day tour.
The President was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour by the armed forces upon her arrival at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) in Kolkata on March 27. She was received by Ananda Bose and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim, among others. From the airport, she came by helicopter to the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) ground before travelling to the Raj Bhavan by road. President Murmu was received by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the RCTC.
Later in the day, Banerjee welcomed President Droupadi Murmu with a tribal cultural program at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. Banerjee played a tribal drum and also joined the performers in a tribal dance during the event.
“During the evening, the President was given a civic reception at Netaji Indoor Stadium, where Governor C V Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were present,” confirmed an administrative official.
The next day, March 28, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu toured the Belur Math (Ramakrishna Mission and Math headquarters) and also attended the 80th anniversary celebrations of UCO Bank in Kolkata. Thereafter, she left for Santiniketan to grace the annual convocation of Visva-Bharati University.
On August 17, 2023, President Murmu came to Kolkata for a one-day visit to launch the ‘My Bengal, Addiction Free Bengal’ campaign and the Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Vindhyagiri’. The event was attended by Governor Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Banerjee. Upon her arrival at the NSCBI Airport in Kolkata, President Droupadi Murmu was received by Governor Ananda Bose.
On her third visit to Bengal as President on December 18, 2023, Murmu was received by Bengal IT and Electronics Minister Babul Supriyo at the Kalaikunda Air Force Station. During that visit, she attended the 69th Convocation of IIT Kharagpur.
President Droupadi Murmu next visited West Bengal on July 30-31, 2025. During this trip, she attended the 1st convocation of AIIMS Kalyani in Nadia on July 30, visited the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata, and stayed at the Raj Bhavan before departing for Delhi on July 31, 2025. During her arrival, she was received by Bengal minister Birbaha Hansda, Governor Ananda Bose, and then-Chief Secretary Manoj Pant.
Latest visit
During President Murmu’s latest visit to the state (March 7, 2026), Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb received her at the Bagdogra airport. According to protocol, experts said, the chief minister or a minister of the state government is usually present to receive the President.
Reacting to the alleged lapse in protocol during President Murmu’s visit, Ananda Bose, who recently resigned from his position as Bengal Governor, stated, “The President is a very experienced, balanced, and dignified person. She must have had reasons to comment like that. I am nobody to comment on what a President has said.”