BJP's first govt in Bengal: PM Modi, senior ministers attend swearing-in ceremony — Who all are present?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several high-profile Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states have reached Kolkata to attend the oath-taking ceremony of chief minister-designate Suvendu Adhikari and his council of ministers.

Thousands of BJP supporters from across the country and abroad also poured into the city for the first BJP government in West Bengal, turning Kolkata's iconic Brigade Parade Grounds into a sea of saffron.

The notable attendees at the event:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah
• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
• BJP President Nitin Nabin
• Governor of West Bengal R.N. Ravi
• JP Nadda
• Yogi Adityanath
• Rekha Gupta
• Makhanlal Sarkar, a 98-year-old veteran BJP grassroots worker

Groups of supporters carrying BJP flags and saffron banners gathered at different points across the city since morning before moving towards the venue amid chants of "Jai Shri Ram" and slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adhikari.

"It is a historic day. We have come to witness West Bengal getting independence from the clutches of the TMC," a BJP supporter who travelled from Jharkhand said while marching towards the venue with a group of party workers.

A middle-aged man clad in dhoti-pyjama said he had arrived from Canada to witness the historic occasion in person.

The sprawling Brigade Parade Grounds wore a festive look with folk performances and devotional music setting the tone for the swearing-in ceremony.

Traditional Chhou dance troupes and tribal dance performances entertained the gathering as supporters continued to stream into the venue.

The backdrop of the main stage showcased West Bengal's cultural heritage, featuring depictions of the Dakshineswar temple, Goddess Durga and other traditional motifs associated with the state's identity.

Supporters arrived beating drums and dancing in celebration, with many treating the occasion as a political festival marking a change of guard in the state.

Adding a local flavour to the event, packets of 'jhal muri' were distributed among supporters at the venue. The popular Bengali snack had recently gone viral after Modi tasted 'jhal muri' at a roadside shop in Jhargram following an election rally during the campaign trail.

Who was the person PM Modi felicitated before Suvendu swearing-in?

On the stage, PM Modi took the blessings of Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the most senior workers of the BJP in West Bengal.

At the age of 98, Makhanlal Sarkar remains one of the early grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India.

In 1952, he was arrested in Kashmir while accompanying Syama Prasad Mukherjee during the movement to hoist the Indian tricolour there.

After the formation of the BJP in 1980, he became the organisational coordinator for West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling districts. Within just one year, he helped enrol nearly 10,000 members.

From 1981 onward, he served continuously for seven years as district president, an exceptional achievement at a time when BJP leaders generally could not remain in the same organisational position for more than two years.

(With agency inputs)