Tapas Roy takes oath as West Bengal Assembly pro-tem Speaker
Synopsis
The BJP's historic first government in West Bengal gets its first legislative milestone: six-time MLA Tapas Roy — who has served under Congress, Trinamool, and now BJP — takes oath as pro-tem Speaker, tasked with swearing in 293 newly elected legislators. His likely elevation to regular Speaker would mark another first for the BJP in the state.
Key Takeaways
Tapas Roy took oath as pro-tem Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly on 12 May , with Governor R.N.
Ravi administering the oath.
Roy will oversee the oath ceremony of 293 newly elected MLAs on 13 May and 14 May .
The Falta Assembly constituency (South 24 Parganas) is excluded due to a repolling ordered by the ECI for 21 May ; results on 24 May .
Roy is the seniormost legislator among the BJP's 207 sitting MLAs and is tipped to become the regular Speaker.
Roy defeated TMC's Shreya Pande from Maniktala by over 1,25,000 votes in the recent Assembly polls.
The BJP has formed its first-ever government in West Bengal since Independence, ending 15 years of TMC rule.
Veteran legislator and six-time elected member Tapas Roy took oath as the pro-tem Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday, 12 May, with Governor R.N. Ravi administering the oath of office in Kolkata. Roy, the seniormost legislator among the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 207 sitting MLAs in the state, is widely tipped to become the regular Speaker of the House.
Role and Responsibilities
As pro-tem Speaker, Roy is tasked with presiding over the oath ceremony of 293 newly elected legislators on 13 May and 14 May. A pro-tem Speaker is a temporary presiding officer appointed for a limited period to conduct the business of a newly constituted House before a regular Speaker is elected — typically the most senior member of the legislature.
The total number of Assembly constituencies in West Bengal is 294, but only 293 legislators are currently being sworn in. The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered a repolling for the entire Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district following reports of massive electoral malpractices on 29 April. That repolling is scheduled for 21 May, with results to be declared on 24 May.
BJP's Historic Win in West Bengal
The oath ceremony comes after the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal since Independence — a landmark shift in a state that had been under Trinamool Congress (TMC) rule for 15 years and the Left Front for 34 years before that. Roy's elevation to the pro-tem Speaker's role underscores his standing within the state BJP unit.
Tapas Roy's Political Journey
Roy's legislative career spans nearly three decades across multiple parties. He was first elected as a Congress MLA in 1996 from the pre-delimitation constituency of Vidyasagar. In 2001, he returned to the Assembly as a Trinamool Congress candidate from Bara-Bazar in South Kolkata.
He won again on a Trinamool ticket from Baranagar constituency in 2011 — the election that ended the Left Front's long reign — and was re-elected from the same seat in 2016 and 2021. On 4 March 2024, shortly before the Lok Sabha elections, Roy resigned from Trinamool Congress and his legislative seat, and joined the BJP.
He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Kolkata (Uttar) constituency on a BJP ticket but was defeated by four-time TMC member Sudip Bandopadhyay. Undeterred, Roy contested the recent Assembly elections from Maniktala constituency in North Kolkata, defeating TMC's Shreya Pande by over 1,25,000 votes.
What Comes Next
With the oath ceremonies for new legislators scheduled over 13–14 May, the West Bengal Assembly is expected to elect a regular Speaker shortly thereafter. Insiders from the state BJP unit have indicated that Roy is the frontrunner for that role, which would make him the first BJP Speaker in the history of the West Bengal Assembly.
Point of View
Trinamool, and BJP colours across three decades now sits at the head of the House, embodying the political fluidity that has defined Bengal's recent churn. His near-certain elevation to regular Speaker would give the BJP a symbolic grip on the legislature to match its executive majority. The more telling question is whether the party can translate this institutional foothold into durable governance in a state where its administrative roots remain shallow.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tapas Roy and why was he appointed pro-tem Speaker of West Bengal Assembly?
Tapas Roy is a six-time legislator and the seniormost MLA among the BJP's 207 sitting members in West Bengal. He was appointed pro-tem Speaker on 12 May to administer the oath ceremony of 293 newly elected legislators on 13 and 14 May, a standard role given to the most senior member of a newly constituted House.
Why are only 293 MLAs being sworn in instead of 294?
The Election Commission of India ordered a full repolling for the Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas following reports of massive electoral malpractices on 29 April. The repolling is scheduled for 21 May, with results on 24 May, so the Falta MLA will be sworn in separately.
What is a pro-tem Speaker?
A pro-tem Speaker is a temporary presiding officer appointed to conduct the business of a newly elected legislature — primarily overseeing the oath-taking of new members — until a regular Speaker is elected. The role is typically given to the most senior member of the House.
What is Tapas Roy's political background?
Roy began his legislative career as a Congress MLA in 1996, later served as a Trinamool Congress MLA from 2001 to 2024, and joined the BJP in March 2024. He won the 2025 West Bengal Assembly election from Maniktala constituency, defeating TMC's Shreya Pande by over 1,25,000 votes.
Is Tapas Roy likely to become the regular Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly?
Yes, according to insiders from the state BJP unit, Roy is the frontrunner to be elected as the regular Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly. If confirmed, he would be the first BJP Speaker in the history of the state legislature.
