Prime Minister Narendra Modi and actor-politician Mithun Chakraborty shared a handshake on stage during Suvendu Adhikari's oath-taking ceremony in Kolkata [1].

The event marks a significant political shift as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates the appointment of its first chief minister in West Bengal [1, 2].

The ceremony took place on May 9, 2026 [1]. The gathering in Kolkata served as a platform for high-ranking party officials and cultural figures to demonstrate a united front. During the proceedings, Prime Minister Modi appeared before the public with folded hands as part of the celebrations for the new administration [2].

Suvendu Adhikari, the new chief minister, took the oath of office in a ceremony attended by top BJP leadership. The presence of Mithun Chakraborty, a prominent actor and BJP leader, highlighted the party's effort to blend political authority with cultural influence in the region [1, 2].

Observers said the handshake between the prime minister and the actor-politician was a symbolic gesture of political support [1, 2]. The interaction occurred on stage, visible to the attending crowd and captured in media broadcasts of the event [1].

This transition of power in West Bengal represents a major milestone for the BJP's regional strategy. The party has sought to establish a firmer foothold in the state, and the appointment of Adhikari is the culmination of these efforts [2].

“The handshake was a symbolic gesture of political support.”

The appointment of Suvendu Adhikari as the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal signifies a historic breach of the state's long-standing political status quo. By pairing the Prime Minister with a cultural icon like Mithun Chakraborty, the BJP is signaling a strategy that combines administrative power with grassroots cultural appeal to consolidate its influence in the eastern region.