00:00All right, like I said, there was dramatic developments, extraordinary power play that is taking place in the state of
00:06Tamil Nadu.
00:06But I want to take you back to West Bengal.
00:09I was just in Bengal a couple of weeks ago, a saffron sweep in the state.
00:13And the latest that is coming in is Amit Shah, who is also there in the capacity of an observer,
00:19will be chairing an all-important MLA meet at 4 p.m.
00:22And word coming in from there, what is now certain big scoop on India today.
00:27Sources tell us that other than the chief minister, Bengal is all set to get two deputy chief ministers.
00:33And one is pretty much certain will be a woman.
00:37So one deputy chief minister as a woman, there will be two deputy chief ministers in the Bengal government.
00:43And this is confirmed that one of the two deputy CMs is going to be a woman viewers.
00:51That's the news that we are breaking.
00:53I want to quickly cut across to Maria Shakir, who is joining us.
00:56Maria, news coming in.
00:58One deputy CM pretty much inked in terms of gender will be a woman.
01:04The other being speculated as one coming in from the Mutawa community.
01:08And Suvindu Adhikari seems to be the frontrunner for CM.
01:12That's right, Priti.
01:14That's the sense that we are picking up.
01:16Of course, in an hour, the entire picture will become clear when the legislature party meeting begins.
01:20But in all certainty, what sources are telling us is that Suvindu Adhikari is the frontrunner.
01:27He is going to be elected as the head of the legislature party.
01:29The home minister and the Udika chief minister, both of them are here for ensuring that the entire process goes
01:38smoothly.
01:39And then they'll be heading to the Raj Bhavan for taking claim.
01:42But we can also tell our viewers at the moment is that given the support that the women have given
01:47to the BJP in this election for multiple reasons,
01:50be it their disgruntlement towards the general sense of fatigue or even the overall law and order situation in the
02:00state,
02:00the sense is that they could go towards, you know, that one of the women MLAs could become a deputy
02:08chief minister as well.
02:10And matawas, as you were highlighting, close to two to three crore matawas in all and of them,
02:15significant numbers who have stood with the BJP election after election since 2019 onward.
02:21So the proper representation in terms of regional balance, the caste balance is something that the BJP is emphasizing on.
02:27We realize that how fundamental it is to ensure that in a state where they have won the mandate for
02:32the first time,
02:33they have to send the message that the BJP understands the culture, they understand the tradition,
02:37and at the same time, they understand the caste ethos.
02:45Well, you know, Mara, there's also another speculation at play.
02:48While, of course, the Mutua community, you know, A, of course, the sheer fact of getting a woman deputy chief
02:55minister
02:55because the former incumbent was a woman, the kind of support, you know, that the BJP would have gotten with
03:02this mandate
03:02with a woman vote bank shifting understood.
03:05The second deputy chief minister's chair, Mara, at one point, one might seem to suggest the Mutua community
03:12that stood by the BJP ever since 2019, but also many political watchers insist that representation to the North,
03:23which has been ignored, the North that has also got BJP's back election after election, could also be factored in.
03:30Yes, I think the Mutua as a caste constituency emerged only when the BJP's mission Bengal began.
03:39Their emphasis was clear.
03:41They realized that, you know, that the sub-national identity within the state has to be broken down further
03:51into various caste constituencies.
03:54That was a larger, overarching sentiment, and that's what the BJP encashed on, that there are a number of these
04:01constituencies
04:02within the larger sub-national sentiment which had to be represented, which had to be given their due,
04:09which they thought have been long ignored and overlooked.
04:12So, first, in 2019, if you remember, the preteen, the run-up to 2021 elections, we heard the entire chatter
04:21on Citizenship Amendment Act.
04:23The BJP went ahead and implemented it.
04:26That certainly gave Mutua that position where they became citizens of India.
04:32They realized that this was a community which can stand with the BJP, and that's what has happened.
04:37The 2021 assembly elections, followed by 2024, looks by elections, and now they voted en masse towards the BJP in
04:452026 elections.
04:47So, when we look at the overall cabinet, that may not be thrown in tomorrow.
04:51What sources are indicating to us is it will be the chief minister and the two deputy chief ministers
04:58who will be thrown in at the brigade grounds, the massive oath-taking ceremony,
05:02which will happen in the presence of the prime minister, home minister, and the chief ministers of all BJP rule
05:07states.
05:11All right, Maria, I want to cut across to my colleague, Piyush, who's joining us from Norbertail Hotel.
05:15That has pretty much been the nerve center of the BJP's campaign in the final leg,
05:20and that's where the meeting is taking place.
05:22Piyush, word coming in, news break.
05:25Front runner for chief minister continues to be Shavindu Adhikari,
05:29but Bengal to get two deputy CMs as well.
05:32One woman chief minister, deputy chief minister's name, pretty much for sure,
05:38because the constituency of women is important.
05:41Also, BJP's government will be replacing a woman chief minister's government.
05:46The second name is being speculated, Piyush, very closely.
05:51One, to have the Mutua community, which is stood by the BJP,
05:55or else, because the Mutuas are not in the north.
05:58They are pretty much gathered in Nadia and the South Chawbis Paragnaz.
06:01Or else, get representation and finally give representation to the north of Bengal,
06:07and get somebody from up-north Bengal for representation,
06:11because one of the biggest factors that the BJP has always said is that the north has been ignored.
06:20Well, no doubt about it that the north Bengal cannot be ignored, Preeti,
06:24and the sources are now suggesting us that in the BJP government,
06:28there will be two deputy chief ministers.
06:31One is most likely a woman deputy chief minister,
06:34and another one either could be from Mutua or from north Bengal.
06:37But women deputy chief minister, sources are suggesting that it is almost certain.
06:43As far as the frontrunners for the chief minister are concerned,
06:48what we are told is that Shubhendu Adhikari is leading that entire race.
06:52In few hours from now, which means in another three to four hours,
06:57the picture is going to get clear.
06:58But sources are suggesting that tomorrow, when an oath-kicking ceremony happens,
07:02not only Shubhendu Adhikari, but along with not only the chief minister,
07:05I give you a pardon, not only chief minister,
07:08but two deputy chief ministers will also be swearing in,
07:11when that swearing-in ceremony happens tomorrow.
07:18All right, so what we know, Piyush, you are practically saying that tomorrow,
07:22of course, like it has been now in the recent past,
07:24the cabinet is not thrown in along with the deputy CMs and the CMs.
07:29So tomorrow what we will be looking at is one chief minister
07:33and two deputy chief ministers.
07:35Who could be the chief minister right now?
07:37Seemingly, it suggests that Shubhendu Adhikari continues to be the frontrunner.
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