Tapas takes oath as pro tem speaker, CM & mins at event

Kolkata: Veteran legislator and BJP MLA Tapas Roy was administered the oath as pro tem speaker of the Bengal assembly by governor RN Ravi on Tuesday.The ceremony paves the way for the induction of the newly elected legislators of the 18th Legislative Assembly.The oath-taking of the newly elected legislators will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, while the election for the speaker's post will take place on Friday, Roy said.Roy took the oath at Lok Bhavan in the presence of CM Suvendu Adhikari, newly inducted ministers and several newly elected MLAs. Adhikari attended the ceremony shortly after returning from Assam, where he had participated in the swearing-in ceremony of Himanta Biswa Sarma.A Trinamool veteran and four-term MLA, Roy had quit the party and joined BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.According to the notification issued by the Bengal assembly's principal secretary, the proceedings will be divided into four distinct phases to manage the House strength. On Wednesday morning, the CM and his council of ministers will take oath as members of the assembly. This will be followed by that of BJP members from north Bengal districts, including Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Malda and Murshidabad.On Thursday morning, BJP members from Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore, Jhargram and other districts will take their oath.In the afternoon, the final leg would include MLAs of West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum.The assembly secretariat has issued a directive, mandating that every MLA must carry Original Election Certificate to the podium. Additionally, members are required to submit four stamp-sized colour photographs for identification purposes.To maintain order, each legislator is permitted a maximum of two guests. District magistrates have been instructed to facilitate temporary photo ID cards for both MLAs and their companions to ensure seamless entry through the assembly gates.With Roy's extensive parliamentary experience, the 18th Legislative Assembly is expected to commence its journey with a focus on discipline and constitutional decorum.