West Bengal is set for a dramatic political split-screen on Saturday. As Shuvendu Adhikari prepares to take oath as the state’s new chief minister at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, former CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will simultaneously host Rabindra Jayanti celebrations at her Kalighat residence her first public programme since her electoral defeat.
The TMC leadership has been instructed to attend the cultural event, which many see as symbolically significant in the current political climate. Former minister Indranil Sen and Rajya Sabha MP Babul Supriyo are scheduled to perform, keeping the programme modest but meaningful. Party insiders say the priority now is standing beside “affected workers,” not grand celebrations.
TMC has claimed on social media that three non‑political organisations were denied police permission to hold Rabindra Jayanti events. In response, the party’s central committee has urged members to organise celebrations “wherever possible,” even if on a smaller scale.
Meanwhile, Adhikari’s swearing‑in marks a historic shift in Bengal politics. Once Mamata Banerjee’s trusted lieutenant, he will now take charge of the state as the first BJP chief minister. His oath ceremony is expected to draw massive crowds at the Brigade.
Political observers are watching closely to see whether Mamata Banerjee uses Saturday’s event to deliver any political message. Earlier this week, she met victorious candidates at Kalighat and instructed district leaders to organise protest marches against alleged BJP attacks.
With two contrasting events unfolding at the same hour a new chief minister taking office and a former one invoking Rabindranath Tagore’s cultural legacy Bengal’s political theatre is set for a striking day.
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