Bengal, May 5: After bagging a landslide victory in the West Bengal assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday took oath as the state chief minister for her third consecutive term.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at Raj Bhavan in a low-key program due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
She took the oath in the 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.
The TMC supremo has said her first priority after resuming the office will be to tackle the Covid-19 situation.
“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,” said Governor Dhankhar after the swearing-in.
The CM will now head to her office Nabanna, where she will be given a guard of honor by the Kolkata Police.
Banerjee, who lost from Nandigram despite the astounding Trinamool victory will have to get elected to the assembly within six months of assuming office.
According to Article 164 (4) of the Indian Constitution, a minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the legislature of the state shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a minister.
After her defeat in Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Returning Officer of the Assembly seat had said that he was threatened against recounting of votes.
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After eight rounds of polling in the state, the votes were counted and results announced for the assembly elections on 2 May.
Banerjee-led TMC won 213 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party garnered 77 seats in the 294-seat state assembly. The ISF, which contested with the symbol of the Rashtriya Secular Majlis Party, and an Independent, managed one seat each.
However, elections for two seats in Murshidabad are postponed due to the demise of candidates due to Covid.
