Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tapas Roy was sworn in as the protem Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, formally initiating proceedings of the newly elected Assembly following the BJP’s landmark victory in the recent state elections. Roy announced after the ceremony that the election for the post of Speaker of the Assembly will be conducted on Friday.
West Bengal Governor R N Ravi administered the oath of office to Roy at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata. The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, newly inducted ministers, and several first-time as well as returning MLAs.
Roy, a veteran politician and former four-term MLA of the All India Trinamool Congress, had resigned from the party before joining the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His appointment as pro tem Speaker marks another significant development in the state’s changing political landscape after the BJP came to power in West Bengal for the first time.
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Speaking to reporters after taking oath, Roy said newly elected legislators would be sworn in over the next two days, Wednesday and Thursday, while the Speaker’s election would be held on Friday.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attended the ceremony soon after returning to Kolkata from Assam, where he had earlier participated in the swearing-in ceremony of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The atmosphere around the Assembly complex reflected the political transition underway in the state. Parts of the Vidhan Sabha premises and nearby areas were illuminated with saffron lighting on Tuesday evening, symbolising the BJP’s rise to power in Bengal.
Although the West Bengal Assembly has a total strength of 294 seats, oath-taking ceremonies will presently be conducted for 290 MLAs over the next two days.
Polling in the Falta Assembly constituency was countermanded following allegations of electoral irregularities, and fresh voting is scheduled to take place on May 21.
Meanwhile, both Suvendu Adhikari and Humayun Kabir, founder of AJUP, emerged victorious from two Assembly constituencies each. As a result, by-elections will eventually be required after they vacate one seat apiece. Roy, however, has already completed his oath-taking process.
According to the Assembly schedule, Adhikari and the newly appointed ministers will take oath as MLAs during the first half of Wednesday’s proceedings.
Newly elected legislators from north Bengal districts and Murshidabad will also be sworn in during that session. In the second half of Wednesday, MLAs elected from Nadia, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas districts will take oath.
Proceedings will continue on Thursday, when legislators from Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipur, and Jhargram districts will take oath during the first half of the day.
Later, on Thursday, MLAs from Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, and Birbhum districts are scheduled to be sworn in during the second half of the session.
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