NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen touching the feet of a nonagenarian BJP member and kneeling in gratitude to the enthusiastic crowd at Brigade Ground, with an image of Goddess Durga serving as the backdrop. This event marked the swearing-in of the BJP’s first government in West Bengal and was rich in symbolic gestures.
The assembly polls had significant historical implications, and BJP acknowledged the various elements contributing to this milestone. After taking the oath, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari bowed to Modi, who generally prefers not to have others touch his feet. Adhikari remained in this position for some time as Modi clasped his hands together and gently patted his back, eliciting cheers from the audience.
Adhikari replicated this gesture briefly for Home Minister Amit Shah, a key figure in BJP’s successful strategy. Since leaving TMC to join BJP in Shah’s presence in 2020, Adhikari has been a prominent figure in the party’s campaign against Mamata Banerjee’s government, despite some resistance from the party’s veteran members.
This significant event also paid tribute to longstanding party veterans. Dilip Ghosh, a former RSS pracharak and ex-state BJP chief, was the first minister to take the oath after Adhikari, highlighting his years of dedication to the BJP cause. Modi also engaged with the families of BJP members who were victims of political violence over the years.
The selection of five ministers illustrated the party’s diverse social and regional support in the election. While Adhikari is a Brahmin, Ghosh represents the OBC category, and Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nishit Pramanik come from Matua, tribal, and Rajbonshi communities, respectively. The sole female minister, Agnimitra Paul, belongs to the Kayastha community.
Notably, the BJP currently has no Muslim MLAs, and with the lack of a legislative council in the state, it appears unlikely that any Muslim representation will be included in this government, representing a possibly unprecedented situation for the community in West Bengal. In response to critiques from TMC regarding its outsider status, BJP strategically chose to hold the event on the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, featuring an image of the iconic Bengali figure on the dais.
