BJP Government In Bengal To Take Oath On May 9, Tagore's Birth Anniversary

Sources close to the party and government formation process confirm that May 9 is being considered to mark a new beginning in West Bengal.

05 May 2026, 06:15 · www.ndtv.com

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BJP plans West Bengal government oath-taking ceremony on May 9, coinciding with Rabindra Jayanti
BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya confirmed the May 9 oath-taking date
During campaign rally in Barrackpore, PM Modi had said he will "come back" for BJP's oath-taking ceremony

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Kolkata:

In a move rich with cultural and political symbolism, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to take oath for forming the new government in West Bengal on May 9, coinciding with Rabindra Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Sources close to the party and government formation process confirm that this date is being considered to mark a new beginning in the state.

Follow LIVE Updates on Bengal election results

BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya too confirmed the date.

"The oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister of West Bengal will take place on 9th May..." Bhattacharya told the news agency ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly signalled this timeline during his final campaign rally in Barrackpore. "I am going back with the confidence that after the results on May 4, I will come back here to attend the BJP's oath-taking ceremony," he declared.

Following Bengal's historic verdict on Monday, PM Modi invoked Tagore's ideals while addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi saying the BJP's resolve is to create a Bengal "where the mind is without fear and the head is held high" - echoing the spirit of Gurudev's timeless vision.

Senior Election Commission of India officials -- Principal Secretary S B Joshi and Secretary Sujit Kumar Mishra -- will arrive in Kolkata today (May 5) from Delhi to hand over the official gazette notification of the election results to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal.

The CEO is then expected to formally brief Governor RN Ravi on May 6, after which the Governor will invite outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to offer her resignation as per constitutional protocol. Following which, Governor RN Ravi is expected to request Mamata Banerjee to continue as caretaker Chief Minister until the new government is sworn in, thereby ensuring seamless administrative continuity in the state.

This suggested date, as per sources, on Pochishe Boishakh (May 9) not only aligns with standard post-election timelines but also adds deep emotional resonance in a state that reveres Tagore, the man who wrote our national anthem.

Celebrated with immense reverence across the state on the 25th of Baishakh, this day is far more than a birthday; it is a festival of Bengaliness itself. Tagore's poetry, songs (Rabindra Sangeet), literature, and humanist philosophy form the very heartbeat of Bengali culture -- from morning recitations in schools and homes to cultural programmes that fill the air with his timeless verses.

With the BJP poised to end over four-and-a-half decades of Left and the Trinamool Congress rule, the swearing-in promises to be a landmark event in Bengal's political history. Official announcements are expected shortly as preparations gain momentum.

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