Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion of Pochish Boishakh. At the Brigade Parade Grounds on Saturday, the Prime Minister offered flowers to the painting of the ‘Bard of Bengal’. He visited Kolkata to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and CM-elect Suvendu Adhikari accompanied PM Modi. Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to be sworn in as West Bengal’s first ever BJP Chief Minister on May 9, marking a landmark political shift in the state. This is a historic moment as it marks the time when a BJP leader will take oath in West Bengal.
PM Modi entered the venue in an open vehicle while the crowd chanted the slogan ‘Jay Shri Ram’. He received a warm welcome at the venue where thousands of BJP supporters had gathered to witness the oath-taking ceremony. Governor RN Ravi is all set to administer oath to Suvendu Adhikari.
On the anniversary of the poet’s birth, in a post on X, he wrote: “May his thoughts continue to illuminate the mind and guide us in our endeavors.”
The prime minister said the poet, philosopher and educationist had enriched Indian society with creative energy, cultural confidence and deep thought, calling Tagore the “timeless voice of India’s civilizational soul”.
PM Modi arrived at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport around 10:00 am and took a helicopter to the race track before proceeding by road to the venue. The BJP secured a landslide victory in the assembly polls by securing 207 seats in the 294-member House, ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule in the state.
Everything you need to know about Suvendhu Adhikari
Suvendu Adhikari was born in 1970 in Purba Medinipur district. A scion of one of Bengal’s most influential political families, he initially became a major political force in the city of Nandigram. He became a household name through the Congress Party long before joining the BJP, but later joined the TMC during its years as an anti-Left force.
At 55, a leader rooted in local networks and street politics, he is the most recognized face in the state, having been elected as the leader of the saffron party’s West Bengal legislature on May 8.
After a party meeting in Kolkata on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced Adhikari as the party leader. The Leader of Opposition in the previous Bengal Assembly emerged as a giant slayer after winning the 2026 assembly elections from two seats – Nandigram and Bhabanipur. He defeated TMC chief and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by a margin of 15,105 votes.
Suvendu Adhikari declared a net worth of ₹85.87 lakhs ₹85.87 crores, inclusive ₹24.57 million chattels and ₹61.30 lakh in immovable property, in an election affidavit filed before contesting the 2026 West Bengal elections.
