Bengal: As Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday took her oath as the chief minister of West Bengal for the third consecutive term; elsewhere in Kolkata, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took another -- to 'dismantle" political violence in the state. BJP national president JP Nadda, addressing party workers in the city, said, "We take an oath to carry out our responsibility, by happily accepting the mandate, and play the important role of Opposition. What we fought in Bengal - political violence, appeasement, and tyranny - we won't step back from carrying out our duties." Post-poll violence has ensued over the past two days across West Bengal, with reports emerging of clashes between rival political workers, torched offices, and the deaths of workers and supporters cutting across party lines.

The BJP has been protesting this alleged "rampant violence" in the state, accusing the TMC of hunting down its workers in retribution. The party is also holding a nationwide dharna today to protest what it calls the debilitating law and order situation. West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, along with other members of the party's state unit, has demanded that President's Rule be imposed to bring the scene under control. At the same time, however, the BJP is also maintaining a line of political courtesy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking to his official account on Twitter to congratulate Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday for her swearing-in.

Addressing BJP workers on this day, JP Nadda said, "Those who were supposed to protect others are the ones responsible for this violence. They can take the oath, everyone has the right to do so in a democracy. But we also take an oath to dismantle political violence in Bengal." The TMC secured 213 seats in the recently concluded eight-phased West Bengal Assembly elections, while the BJP won 77 seats. This is the third consecutive time that Mamata Banerjee has been sworn in as the state's chief minister. She assumed the post for the first time in 2011, by ending the 34-year-long CPI(M) regime, one of the longest-serving elected governments in the world.

After ruling the state for two successive terms, the game of thrones of 2021 was no less than a do-or-die situation for Mamata Banerjee. However, these elections saw the people of West Bengal once again rewarding her with an erwhelming mandate, and punishing the Left Front with zero seats, paving the way for a state legislature to be formed without any Left representation for the first time in history.