Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata on Friday, 8 May to oversee the selection of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Legislative Party leader in the West Bengal Assembly — a figure who will become the state's new Chief Minister and its first BJP CM since Independence, following the party's resounding victory in the state elections whose results were declared on 4 May.

Shah's Arrival and First Stop

Shah's flight touched down at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at around 11 a.m. He was received by senior state BJP leaders, including party state president and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya and former Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. From the airport, Shah proceeded directly to the iconic Goddess Kali temple in North 24 Parganas district, where he offered prayers.

Key Meeting at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre

Following lunch at a hotel in New Town — in the northern outskirts of Kolkata — Shah is scheduled to convene a meeting with newly elected BJP legislators at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, also in New Town. It is at this meeting that the leader of the BJP's Legislative Party, who will simultaneously become West Bengal's Chief Minister, is set to be formally selected. This will mark a historic political shift in a state that has been governed by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) for over a decade.

Governor's Invitation and Cabinet Formation

After the selection, the newly chosen leader is expected to travel to Lok Bhaban in Kolkata to formally submit a plea for forming the new state cabinet to Governor R.N. Ravi. The move follows established constitutional convention, whereby the leader of the majority party or coalition in the assembly seeks the governor's invitation to form the government.

Oath Ceremony Set for Saturday at Brigade Parade Ground

According to the schedule released by the West Bengal unit of the BJP, the oath-taking ceremony for the new Chief Minister and cabinet will be held on Saturday morning at the Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata, commencing at 10 a.m. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Shah, Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states, and top central party leaders are all expected to attend. Extensive security arrangements are already in place at the venue ahead of the ceremony.

Historic Significance

The selection of a BJP Chief Minister in West Bengal would represent one of the most consequential political developments in recent Indian electoral history. The BJP had long targeted the state — the country's fourth-most-populous — as a critical expansion frontier, and the 4 May election results mark the culmination of years of organisational effort. All eyes now remain on who Shah's meeting will produce as the party's choice for the top post.