NEW DELHI. May 5: The Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee took oath of office and secrecy as the chief minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term on Wednesday. The governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was administered her the oath of office at a simple ceremony at the Raj-Bhavan attended by a few people.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi who led a bitter campaign for the BJP against the TMC in the just-concluded state Assembly elections was among the first to congratulate Banerjee on taking her oath.
“Congratulations to Mamata Didi on taking oath as West Bengal’s Chief Minister,” said Modi in a tweet.
“I thank all the people who were looking at the Bengal elections. Our first priority is tackling Covid-19. Secondly, I urge all political parties to look around so that violence to be controlled. From today onwards, I am taking law and order into my hands. I will post the police accordingly to tackle the situation,” she said after taking the oath.
“I will hold a big celebration once the pandemic is over,” she added.
Soon after the swearing-in, the governor sent out a sharp message to the chief minister in respect of the post-poll violence in which about a dozen people from various political parties were killed since the counting of votes on May 2. “Our first priority is to bring an end to the senseless, horrendous post-poll violence…I have every hope that the Chief Minister on an urgent basis will take all the steps to restore the rule of law. I have every hope that the Chief Minister, my younger sister, will rise to the occasion,” Dhankhar said with Mamata Banerjee by his side.
“You have to rise above partisan interests. I am sure you will script a new governance pattern,” he said, addressing the Chief Minister, who stared grimly ahead.
Mamata Banerjee had, moments before the Governor’s comments, said her first priority would be to tackle the Covid crisis and she would start off with a meeting with her top officers.
Next on her agenda, she said, was to handle the law and order situation. She has accused the BJP of stirring violence and communal tension after losing the election. On the other hand, the BJP’s top leaders allege that the TMC workers have murdered its members and set their homes on fire.
“I appeal to all political parties to maintain peace. Bengal does not like violence. Please take proper care that there is no violence,” the Chief Minister said, before handing the mike to the Governor, whom she has often accused of openly taking the BJP’s side and targeting her government.
“I will tackle law and order from today. That is my second job – to post people in law and order,” she said.
When the violence started on Sunday, Banerjee had said the Election Commission was still in charge of law and order in the state and she would take over only after her oath.
The TMC secured 213 seats in the eight-phased 294-member West Bengal Assembly elections while the BJP won 77 seats. The elections for two seats were countermanded due to the deaths of candidates.
Meanwhile, in Chennai, the 68-year-old leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MK Stalin will take oath as the Tamil Nadu chief minister on May 7 in a simple ceremony at the Raj-Bhavan.
Stalin called on Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday and staked claim to form government in the state. Stalin was unanimously elected leader of the legislature party on Tuesday.
“Party president @mkstalin was elected leader of the DMK legislature party,” DMK said on its official twitter handle on Tuesday after 133 newly elected MLAs participated in the meeting where the decision was taken.
Party general secretary Duraimurugan, treasurer T R Baalu, principal secretary K N Nehru and organisation secretary R S Bharathi accompanied Stalin to the Raj Bhavan, a party release said. This would be the sixth time DMK will come to power in the southern state.
(Manas Dasgupta)