Bengal CM oath May 9; Suvendu Adhikari leads race, BJP weighs choice amid post-poll violence
Telegraph | 7 May 2026
The oath-taking ceremony of the new chief minister of West Bengal would take place on May 9, 10 am at the Brigade Parade Ground, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya has confirmed.
Answering to post-poll violence, Samik Bhattacharya, in a news conference on Wednesday, said, “Two of our BJP members have been killed after the result; however, if TMC had won, the numbers would have increased. We will not follow the TMC regime-like rule during our tenure; no violence of any sort will be taken lightly.”
The day of the oath-taking ceremony coincides with Rabindra Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, and party chief Nitin Nabin would also be present during the ceremony.
The biggest question that has gained momentum is who would sit in the West Bengal chief minister's seat.
With Suvendu Adhikari winning against Mamata Banerjee in her own home turf with more than 15,000 votes, his name has been doing the rounds with Samik Bhattacharya(Rajya Sabha MP and West Bengal BJP state president), Utpal Brahmacharo (won from the Kaliaganj, Uttar Dinajpur), and Swapan Dasgupta (Rashbehari).
On Wednesday, Suvendu said that he would vacate one of the two constituencies within 10 days. "I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which one I retain. I will not forget my responsibility towards the people of Bhabanipur and Nandigram," Suvendu said from Nandigram.
He said the BJP would govern in a manner that ensures its rule in Bengal lasts for 100 years, and expressed confidence that the party’s vote share would rise from the current 46 per cent to 60 per cent in future elections.
While Amit Shah would preside over the BJP meet to select the next chief minister, inputs would also be taken from state leaders.