‘9th May 2026 will be etched in history’: PM Modi marks BJP’s landmark rise to power in Bengal
The Statesman | 10 May 2026
A major political shift unfolded in West Bengal on Saturday as the Bharatiya Janata Party formed its first-ever government in the state, with Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as Chief Minister at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders.
The ceremony marked a historic breakthrough for the BJP in a state long dominated by the Left Front and later the Trinamool Congress. Thousands of party workers gathered across Kolkata as the BJP officially assumed power in West Bengal for the first time since Independence.
Describing the occasion as a defining moment in India’s political history, PM Modi said the day symbolised “hope, dignity and good governance” for West Bengal.
“9th May 2026 shall be etched in history as a day of profound significance,” the Prime Minister posted on X after the ceremony. He said the oath-taking at Brigade Parade Ground represented “the promise of a new chapter” for the state and added that he felt privileged to witness the historic event.
The Prime Minister congratulated Suvendu Adhikari on taking oath as Chief Minister and praised his connection with the people of Bengal.
PM Modi said Adhikari had emerged as a leader who understood public aspirations closely and had remained rooted among the people throughout his political journey. He wished the new Chief Minister a successful and productive tenure.
Several senior BJP leaders were sworn in as ministers alongside Adhikari. PM Modi congratulated Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik after they took oath as ministers in the new government.
The Prime Minister said the leaders had worked tirelessly at the grassroots and served people across the state, expressing confidence that they would strengthen Bengal’s development journey.
Thanking the people of the state for the BJP’s electoral victory, PM Modi described public support as the greatest strength of democracy.
“I bow to West Bengal’s Jana Shakti! The people’s blessings are the truest strength of democracy and the noblest source of public resolve,” he said in another post.
Celebrations erupted across several districts after the BJP formally assumed office, with party workers calling the result a mandate for political and administrative change.
The Prime Minister also remembered Syama Prasad Mookerjee, saying the formation of the BJP government in Bengal was closely linked to his vision for the nation and the state.
PM Modi said no effort would be spared to fulfil Mookerjee’s vision and recalled meeting veteran BJP worker Makhanlal Sarkar during the ceremony. He noted that Sarkar had worked alongside Mookerjee and was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir while accompanying him during a nationalist movement.
The Prime Minister praised senior party workers who spent decades building the BJP’s organisational base in West Bengal and inspiring people to join the party.
The swearing-in ceremony coincided with Pochishe Boishakh, the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Calling it a “pleasant coincidence”, PM Modi said tributes were paid to Tagore during the ceremony and described the poet’s words as a lasting inspiration for the nation.
“His timeless words have long stirred the conscience of the nation and his vision continues to illuminate India’s development journey,” the Prime Minister said.