Bengal CM Race: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is in Kolkata and is meeting BJP leaders and elected MLAs to finalize the name of the first BJP Chief Minister. According to reports, the BJP is likely to go with Suvendu Adhikari as Chief Minister and Shankar Ghosh and Agnimitra Paul as his deputies. Notably, Shankar Ghosh is an MLA from Siliguri and will be a face representing North Bengal. On the other hand, Agnimitra Paul is an MLA from the Asansol Dakshin seat and has held multiple posts in the state BJP.
The BJP Legislative Party meeting is underway in West Bengal to decide the name of the new Chief Minister of the state.
Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata this morning when his flight landed at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. He was greeted at the airport by top state BJP leaders of West Bengal, namely the party state president and Rajya Sabha member, Samik Bhattacharya and the former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.
From the airport, the Union Home Minister went straight to the iconic Goddess Kali temple in the North 24 Parganas district, where he offered prayers.
At present, he is in a hotel in the New Town in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, where he is holding a meeting with the newly elected BJP legislators at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, also in New Town.
At the meeting, the leader of the BJP’s Legislative Party in the Assembly, who will also be the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal since independence, will be selected.
After selection, the new leader of the BJP’s Legislative Party and the future Chief Minister will go to Lok Bhaban in Kolkata and place the plea for forming the new state cabinet to the Governor, R.N. Ravi.
As per HM Shah’s schedule provided by the West Bengal unit of the BJP, he will be staying at the same hotel in New Town. On Saturday morning, from the hotel, he will go straight to the Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata, where the oath ceremony of the CM and the new cabinet will be held.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HM Shah, Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states and top central leaders of the party will be present at the oath ceremony.
Extensive security arrangements are already in place at the Brigade Parade Ground for the ceremony on Saturday, which will start from 10 a.m. (With IANS inputs)
