NEW DELHI: PM Modi touching the feet of a nonagenarian BJP member and then kneeling down in gratitude to the surging crowd at Brigade Ground, an image of Goddess Durga as the backdrop on the dais, and CM Suvendu Adhikari dressed in a gerua (saffron) kurta — the oath-taking of BJP’s first govt in West Bengal was marked by a medley of symbolism.If the Bengal assembly polls wrote history, BJP went to great lengths to acknowledge the ingredients which went into the making of this history as its maiden govt was sworn in. The emotional weight of the moment showed. After taking oath, Suvendu bowed to Modi, who has a dislike to people touching his feet, and lingered in the bent pose for a while as the PM clasped his folded hands with one hand and smilingly patted his back with another. He then held him tightly as the crowd roared.Suvendu reserved a similar gesture, though for a briefer while amid the row of dignitaries, for home minister Amit Shah, the lynchpin of BJP’s winning strategy. Since he quit TMC to join BJP in Shah’s presence in 2020, the home minister backed him for leading BJP’s ground resistance against the Mamata Banerjee govt despite the occasional grumblings from the organisation’s old guard. A faith that paid off.But the milestone event was also an occasion to acknowledge the long toil of veterans. Dilip Ghosh, a former RSS pracharak and ex-state BJP chief who at times felt hard done by as a new crop of netas emerged, was the first minister to take oath after Suvendu, a nod to his decades-long dedication to the saffron cause. Modi also met family members of a few of the BJP members who were killed in alleged political violence over the decades. BJP’s choice of five ministers attested to the party’s diverse social and regional support in the polls. While Suvendu is a Brahmin, Ghosh is an OBC, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nishit Pramanik come from Matua, tribal and Rajbonshi communities. The lone woman member, Agnimitra Paul, is a Kayastha. With BJP having no Muslim MLA and the state having no legislative council, any Muslim representation in govt appears remote in what could be the first instance of the community finding no berth in a Bengal govt. Assailed by TMC as outsiders indifferent to the Bengali ethos, BJP made it a point to organise the event on Tagore’s birth anniversary and a picture of the Bengali polymath adorned the dais.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTVK Chief Vijay To Take Oath As Tamil Nadu CM On May 10, Trust Vote By May 13‘No Repentance’: Supreme Court On MP Minister’s Remark On Col Sofiya Qureshi‘Rangla to Kangla’: Raghav Chadha ’s Big Charge After ED Action | WatchIndia Successfully Tests Advanced Agni Missile With MIRV Technology‘First Enemy Is BJP’: Mamata Calls For Joint Oppn Platform As Suvendu Takes Oath As Bengal CMIndian Sailor Killed, 4 Injured After Dhow Catches Fire Near Strait Of HormuzMamata Banerjee’s X Bio Change Sparks Buzz After BJP Forms Bengal GovernmentDid TMC Avoid Official Entry of Political Killings? Zero In NCRB Records | WatchED Arrests Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora In Rs 100 Crore Money Laundering CaseVCK Backs Vijay As TVK Moves Closer To Forming Government In Tamil Nadu | Watch123PhotostoriesWhy is your diet the secret to healthy hair?A simple homely dish that reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his motherSuccess quote of the day by Aristotle: “Excellence is never an accident, it is always the result of…”Hantavirus is that odd infection that can make a simple fever a medical emergency, says Delhi NCR pulmonologistWhat’s it like to visit 10 most economically stable countries in the world right now? What’s India’s rankHow to know if someone is genuine: 5 common habits that sets them apart from those who are fakeHow to correctly store watermelons in summer to keep them fresh, juicy, and long-lastingAnimals that carry their homes with themHow to make South Indian Lauki Paniyaram for Saturday breakfastSundar Pichai: 5 career-saving office politics tips inspired by the Google CEO123Hot PicksSBI Q4 resultsThane- Navi Mumbai corridorMaharashtra SSC ResultPune child rape-murder casePerambur election resultIndia-New Zealand FTASugarcane price hikeTop TrendingWWE Smackdown HighlightsWest Bengal Government FormationUS Iran warHPBOSE 10th Result 2026Yashasvi JaiswalR AshwinBAN vs PAKSalil AnkolaWest Bengal CabinetSuryansh Shedge
NEW DELHI: PM Modi touching the feet of a nonagenarian BJP member and then kneeling down in gratitude to the surging crowd at Brigade Ground, an image of Goddess Durga as the backdrop on the dais, and CM Suvendu Adhikari dressed in a gerua (saffron) kurta — the oath-taking of BJP’s first govt in West Bengal was marked by a medley of symbolism.If the Bengal assembly polls wrote history, BJP went to great lengths to acknowledge the ingredients which went into the making of this history as its maiden govt was sworn in. The emotional weight of the moment showed. After taking oath, Suvendu bowed to Modi, who has a dislike to people touching his feet, and lingered in the bent pose for a while as the PM clasped his folded hands with one hand and smilingly patted his back with another. He then held him tightly as the crowd roared.Suvendu reserved a similar gesture, though for a briefer while amid the row of dignitaries, for home minister Amit Shah, the lynchpin of BJP’s winning strategy. Since he quit TMC to join BJP in Shah’s presence in 2020, the home minister backed him for leading BJP’s ground resistance against the Mamata Banerjee govt despite the occasional grumblings from the organisation’s old guard. A faith that paid off.But the milestone event was also an occasion to acknowledge the long toil of veterans. Dilip Ghosh, a former RSS pracharak and ex-state BJP chief who at times felt hard done by as a new crop of netas emerged, was the first minister to take oath after Suvendu, a nod to his decades-long dedication to the saffron cause. Modi also met family members of a few of the BJP members who were killed in alleged political violence over the decades. BJP’s choice of five ministers attested to the party’s diverse social and regional support in the polls. While Suvendu is a Brahmin, Ghosh is an OBC, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nishit Pramanik come from Matua, tribal and Rajbonshi communities. The lone woman member, Agnimitra Paul, is a Kayastha. With BJP having no Muslim MLA and the state having no legislative council, any Muslim representation in govt appears remote in what could be the first instance of the community finding no berth in a Bengal govt. Assailed by TMC as outsiders indifferent to the Bengali ethos, BJP made it a point to organise the event on Tagore’s birth anniversary and a picture of the Bengali polymath adorned the dais.
