Mamata Banerjee Plans An Oath Ceremony Bengal Will Remember

Kolkata: The distance from Nabanna -- the state secretariat to Red Road, the venue of Mamata Banerjee's swearing-in ceremony -- is barely 8 km and breezy drive across the Hooghly River.  Ahead of that short drive to office after taking charge, Mamata Banerjee hopes to make national impact, with an oath ceremony that Bengalis will remember for a long time.

Along with her, 41 legislators will also take oath - 18 of them are new faces. And she'll have leaders from across the country and 35,000 people in attendance to help create an impact.

The event will be the biggest oath ceremony Bengal has ever seen. A stage the size of a tennis court, a huge air-conditioned VIP lounge to host VVIP guests, a green landscaped garden and a fountain right in front of the stage sets the backdrop for a grand event.
 
It is safe to say that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has dumped simplicity for this ceremony.

Red Road has turned blue and white. The government says it's important to do it in this fashion so the message goes out that this government is not just inclusive when it comes to policy, but also when it comes to celebrations like this one.

Atri Bhattacharya, Principal Secretary of Information and Cultural Affairs, told NDTV, "We have made thorough arrangements. We expect many dignitaries, including from foreign countries and heads of other states."
 Ms Banerjee has confirmed that Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister Babool Supriyo, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will attend the ceremony.

The Opposition plans to protest against the spending of public money and the idea of having a swearing-in ceremony on such a large scale.

"I don't know what they mean by inclusion," CPM leader Satarup Ghosh told NDTV. "On the one hand, they burn down our homes and on the other, they invite us for a swearing-in ceremony. We are going to boycott it."