BJP Sets May 8 for West Bengal Legislative Party Meet to Elect CM; Swearing-in Ceremony on May 9 to Feature PM Modi and Amit Shah

In a decisive step towards forming its first-ever government in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has finalised the schedule for electing its Chief Ministerial candidate and swearing in the new administration. BJP West Bengal State President Samik Bhattacharya announced on Wednesday that the party’s legislative party meeting will convene on May 8 in Kolkata. The newly elected MLAs will choose their leader at this gathering, paving the way for the formal selection of the state’s next Chief Minister. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been named the central observer for the meeting.

The swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers is scheduled for May 9, which coincides with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore (25 Baishakh). Bhattacharya confirmed the date, noting that it follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s indication regarding the culturally significant occasion. “The oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister of West Bengal will take place on 9th May,” he stated.

The grand event is expected to be held at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground, and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior BJP leaders from the Centre and states. Incidentally PM Modi had led a massive public meeting at the same Brigade ground in March, days before the election dates were announced by the ECI.

While the leadership question is set to be resolved at the May 8 meeting, no official confirmation has emerged yet on the name of the Chief Ministerial face. Speculation is intense in political circles, with Suvendu Adhikari - widely credited for his role in the party’s aggressive campaign and organisational expansion - emerging as a strong frontrunner. Other names doing the rounds include state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya himself, senior leader Agnimitra Paul, and former state unit chief Dilip Ghosh. Party sources, however, emphasise that the final decision rests with the central leadership and will be taken after due consultations.

This comes barely days after the BJP registered a landslide victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, securing a clear majority of over 200 seats and bringing an end to 15 year Trinamool Congress rule. The outcome has been described as a transformative shift in the state’s political landscape, with the saffron party achieving its long-cherished goal of forming a government in the eastern state.

BJP workers and supporters have been celebrating the mandate, though the party has appealed for restraint and communal harmony during the festivities. “Violence is not the culture of BJP. BJP has always stood against violence. Thus no one should indulge in violence. The administration should take strict action against anyone indulging in violence - irrespective of any party they belong to”, said Bhattacharya after meeting the state Chief Secretary at Nabanna on Wednesday.