Families of slain BJP workers in Bengal among special guests at Modi swearing-in

Fifty-four special guests have been invited to watch the new Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, take the oath on Thursday, a senior BJP leader said. They are relatives of BJP workers who, according to the party, were killed in incidents of political violence in West Bengal over the past few years. They will sit alongside leaders of the BIMSTEC countries and a large number of celebrities and lawmakers.

A message to Bengal

The BJP says it has lost many of its workers in the state during panchayat, local body and parliamentary elections. Through the Lok Sabha campaign that has just ended, Modi and party president Amit Shah raised the issue again and again at their rallies.

The invitation is widely being read as a signal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who leads the Trinamool Congress, ahead of the next state Assembly election.

The BJP’s showing in the state

The BJP won 303 Lok Sabha seats on its own. Its performance in West Bengal stood out: the party’s tally there rose to 18, up from just two in 2014.

Apart from the BIMSTEC leaders, two other guests have confirmed they will attend: Mauritius’s Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Both will be at the ceremony.

What happened next

Narendra Modi was sworn in for a second term on 30 May 2019. When West Bengal next elected its Assembly, in 2021, the Trinamool Congress won 215 seats and the BJP 77, and Mamata Banerjee remained Chief Minister. In the April 2026 Assembly election, the BJP won 208 of 294 seats and Suvendu Adhikari became Chief Minister on 9 May 2026.

See also: Bharatiya Janata Party and more election news.

Originally published on 29 May 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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