TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was on Wednesday sworn-in as the chief minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term after a massive win in the state assembly elections. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar administered her the oath of office and secrecy at a low-key ceremony at Raj Bhawan held amid the raging COVID pandemic. Banerjee took the oath in Bengali language.
Apart from senior TMC leaders like Partha Chatterjee and Subrata Mukherjee, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who played a key role in TMC's victory, and Banerjee MP nephew Abhishek Banerjee were present. Banerjee has said her first priority after resuming office will be to tackle the COVID-19 situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mamata Banerjee on taking the oath as West Bengal chief minister. Modi tweeted a congratulatory message to Banerjee soon after the Trinamool Congress head was sworn in as chief minister for a third straight term.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar administered her the oath of office and secrecy at a low-key ceremony at the Raj Bhawan held amid the raging COVID pandemic. "Congratulations to Mamata Didi on taking oath as West Bengal's Chief Minister. @MamataOfficial," Modi tweeted.
“I congratulate Mamata ji on her third term. Our priority is that we must bring an end to this senseless violence that has affected society at large. I have every hope that the CM on an urgent basis will take all steps to restore rule of law,” the West Bengal Governor said at the oath taking ceremony.
After taking the oath, Mamata urged all political parties to ensure peace prevails soon. Sporadic post-poll violence was reported in parts of West Bengal, claiming several lives. The violence started after results of the Assembly elections were declared and the ruling Trinamool Congress won 213 of the 292 assembly seats and secured a third straight term in office.
The swearing-in of the Trinamool Congress supremo was a low-key programme given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a government official said. Invitations for the programme were sent to her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, leader of Opposition of the outgoing House Abdul Mannan and CPI(M) veteran leader Biman Bose, an official said on Tuesday. Chief ministers of other states and leaders of other political parties have not been invited for the programme keeping in mind the current COVID-19 situation in the country, he said.
"It has been decided to keep the oath-taking ceremony of Mamata Banerjee a very simple one because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Banerjee will be the only leader who will be taking oath tomorrow. The programme will be a very brief one," he said.
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, poll strategist Prashant Kishor and party leader Firhad Hakim are likely to be present at the ceremony scheduled to be held at the Raj Bhavan at around 10.45 a m on May 5, TMC sources said.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was also invited for the ceremony, the official said.