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Looking at other states, the BJP has deputy chief ministers in its governments in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The saffron party may want to have the same structure in Bengal as well.
Kolkata, May 09 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi with newly-elected West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari during the swearing-in ceremony of the new West Bengal government, in Kolkata on Saturday. (Narendra Modi Photo Gallery/ANI Photo)(Narendra Modi Photo Gallery)Suvendu Adhikari was on 9 May sworn in as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first chief minister of West Bengal at a mega event held at Kolkata's iconic Brigade Parade Ground.
The oath comes days after BJP scripted a landslide victory bagging 207 seats in the 294-member Bengal Assembly, effectively ending the 15-year Mamata Banerjee-led rule of the Trinamool Congress, which was reduced to just 80.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Cabinet Ministers, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states, senior BJP leaders and thousands of party workers from across the state were present during the swearing-in.
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Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first chief minister of West Bengal on May 9th at a ceremony in Kolkata.
Along with Suvendu Adhikari, five other BJP leaders took the oath as ministers: Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik.
The Constitution mandates a 15 percent limit for the total number of ministers, including the Chief Minister. This means West Bengal can have a maximum of 44 ministers.
There is speculation that the BJP may appoint a Deputy Chief Minister, potentially a woman and someone from the northern region of the state. Agnimitra Paul is considered a leading candidate for this role.
No, Mamata Banerjee, the outgoing Chief Minister, did not attend the event, although she had been invited.
Along with Suvendu Adhikari, five BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik also took oath on Saturday.
More ministers are expected to take oath in coming days. Based on the 15 per cent limit mandated by the Constitution, West Bengal can have a maximum of 44 ministers, including the Chief Minister. So, the BJP can have 39 more names inducted into the cabinet.
While, the portfolio allocation of the newly-inducted ministers is awaited, another question being asked in political cirlces is if the BJP will have deputy chief ministers in Bengal.
Looking at other states, the BJP has deputy chief ministers in its governments in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The saffron party may want to have the same structure in Bengal as well.
Who will be the Deputy Chief minister?
According to speculation, the BJP wants a woman deputy CM and another from the northern region of the state.
Agnimitra Paul is the leading candidate in the race. Paul has already taken the oath. She will be allocated Deputy Chief Ministers in portfolio distribution, if the BJP wants her to be at all. Paul won from the Asansol Dakshin seat in the recent election.
A Deputy CM is an internal arrangement as is the portfolio decision. Anyone who has taken an oath as a minister can be made Deputy Chief Minister. It could be from the lot that has already taken oath, or from those expected to take oath in the days to come.
The BJP may want to have the same structure in Bengal as well.
Speculations are rife that Shankar Ghosh, the winning candidate from Siliguri, could be given this role. Ghosh has not yet taken the oath as a minister.
West Bengal has not had a deputy chief minister in the last two decades. Mamata Banerjee never had one while she was chief minister for 15 years. Late CPM veteran Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was the last person to hold this position in the Jyoti Basu-led government.
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