West Bengal is set to witness the formal beginning of its 18th Legislative Assembly as newly elected MLAs prepare to take oath over the next two days. Senior BJP leader and Maniktala MLA Tapas Roy will first take oath as the Protem Speaker on Tuesday evening before overseeing the swearing-in ceremony of all newly elected legislators beginning Wednesday.
The Assembly premises in Kolkata are already witnessing heightened activity ahead of the crucial constitutional process. According to the official schedule issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the oath-taking ceremony will be conducted in two phases on May 13 and May 14, with legislators divided district-wise to ensure smooth proceedings.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister and members of the new cabinet will take oath between 11 am and 1:30 pm. Following that, MLAs from nine districts of North Bengal, including Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Malda and Murshidabad, will be sworn in.
The second half of Wednesday’s proceedings will include legislators from Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.
On Thursday morning, MLAs from Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore and Jhargram will take oath in the Assembly. The final phase later in the day will cover legislators from the remaining districts, including West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum.
Assembly officials said elaborate preparations have been made to maintain discipline and avoid logistical complications during the ceremony. District magistrates have been instructed to ensure that all MLAs carry their original election certificates at the time of the oath-taking process.
New legislators have also been directed to submit four stamp-sized colour photographs for official identity documentation. To manage crowd movement inside the Assembly premises, each MLA will be allowed to bring a maximum of two accompanying persons.
Special arrangements are also being made for temporary photo identity passes for legislators and their guests to facilitate hassle-free entry into the Assembly complex.
Tapas Roy’s appointment as Protem Speaker is being viewed as significant due to his long parliamentary and legislative experience. After formally taking oath on Tuesday evening, he will preside over the initial proceedings of the newly constituted House and administer the oath to all elected members.
Political observers believe the ceremony marks the symbolic beginning of a new political chapter in Bengal after one of the state’s most closely watched Assembly elections in recent years.
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