Suvendu Adhikari among first batch of Bengal MLAs sworn in today

As many as 140 TMC lawmakers were sworn in on Thursday. The remaining 73 will take their oath on Friday. Banerjee is yet to declare the names of her ministers.

Former Bengal minister Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in December last year and managed to make a dent in the electoral success of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) by defeating chief minister Mamata Banerjee at East Midnapore’s Nandigram seat, was sworn in as MLA at the state assembly on Thursday. The oath was read out by Adhikari’s former cabinet colleague Subrata Mukherjee, who acted as the protem speaker.

Suvendu Adhikari took his oath around 3.45 pm. There was a commotion when his security personnel tried to push back reporters who surrounded him for his statement. The BJP MLA left the venue in a hurry. (ANI PHOTO.)

As many as 140 TMC lawmakers were sworn in on Thursday. The remaining 73 will take their oath on Friday. Banerjee is yet to declare the names of her ministers. TMC leaders said once she takes her decision the ministers will be sworn in either on Sunday or Monday.

The polls were held in 292 of Bengal’s 294 seats. Election for two seats in Murshidabad district will be held later as two candidates succumbed to Covid-19 in mid-April.

Of the 77 BJP lawmakers, more than 40 were sworn in on Thursday.

Manoj Tigga, the two-time BJP MLA from Madarihat in north Bengal said, “Our principal job as opposition leaders will be to raise our voices against atrocities and post-poll violence by TMC workers across the state.”

Popular film director Raj Chakraborty, who bagged the Barrackpore seat for the TMC weeks after joining politics, said, “Our first job will be to control the Covid-19 pandemic. Politics comes later.”

Adhikari took his oath around 3.45 pm. There was a commotion when his security personnel tried to push back reporters who surrounded him for his statement. Adhikari left in a hurry.