Kolkata, May 9 (IANS) After Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal and the first Chief Minister of the first BJP-ruled government in the state on Saturday, he was greeted with loud applause from the lakhs of party supporters present at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata as well as the dignitaries present at the dais of the oath ceremony.

A visibly elated Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Adhikari an affectionate hug. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrapped a saffron scarf around the neck of Adhikari while congratulating him for being the Chief Minister.

Adhikari participated in the oath ceremony sporting a dhoti worn in the traditional Bengali style and a saffron-coloured Kurta.

Besides Adhikari, five other members of the new state’s council of ministers, namely the former national vice-president and former state president of the BJP in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, fashion-designer-turned politician and the two-time BJP legislator, Agnimitra Paul, former BJP Lok Sabha member and the former Union Minister of state for Home, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania and Khudiram Tudu, were sworn in on Saturday afternoon.

While Adhikari, Ghosh, Paul, Kirtania and Pramanik read out the oath speech in Bengali, Tudu, who hails from a tribal background, read out the same statement in his mother language of Santali, whose official and indigenous alphabetic speech is termed as “Ol Chiki”.

Tudu participated in the oath ceremony sporting a traditional Santali ceremonial attire.

However, the departmental portfolios of the other five ministers are yet to be announced. The announcement is also pending on the names of other members of the state cabinet.

The oath ceremony was administered by West Bengal Governor R. N. Ravi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states, some members of the Union Cabinet and several top Central BJP leaders.

It is learnt that after the oath ceremony, Adhikari and his cabinet colleagues will first go to the Writers’ Buildings in central Kolkata and from there they will leave for the state Assembly nearby.

As per the schedule fixed so far, the first meeting of the new cabinet will be conducted within the state Assembly premises.

–IANS

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