India news: Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as West Bengal's first BJP chief minister

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AdvertisementSkip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• Suvendu Adhikari sworn in as chief minister of West Bengal
• Modi, Shah attend swearing-in of first BJP CM in state
• Vijay's TVK party back to shoring up the numbers in a bid to claim power in Tamil Nadu

Here is a roundup of the latest updates from India on Saturday, May 9: 

Skip next section Indian sailor killed after cargo dhow catches fire near Strait of Hormuz05/09/2026May 9, 2026

Indian sailor killed after cargo dhow catches fire near Strait of Hormuz

An Indian sailor was killed and four others were injured after a wooden cargo dhow caught fire and capsized near the Strait of Hormuz, Indian media reported, citing government sources.

The vessel was traveling from Dubai to Yemen with 18 Indian crew members on board when the incident occurred early Friday near the strategically vital maritime route.

Seafarers' association representatives said the dhow may have been caught incrossfire between Iran and the United States, though officials said the exact cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The deceased was identified as engine driver Altaf Talab Ker from Gujarat's Dwarka district.

The remaining 17 crew members were rescued by a passing vessel and taken to Dubai.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DW4JSkip next section Lieutenant General Subramani named next Chief of Defense Staff05/09/2026May 9, 2026

Lieutenant General Subramani named next Chief of Defense Staff

The Indian government has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as the country's next Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), the Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

Subramani will also serve as Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and will assume office after General Anil Chauhan completes his tenure on May 30, 2026.

The CDS is the senior-most military appointment in India and oversees coordination among the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

Subramani will be the third officer to hold the post since it was created in 2019.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DW3BSkip next section Suvendu Adhikari sworn in as chief minister of West Bengal05/09/2026May 9, 2026

Suvendu Adhikari sworn in as chief minister of West Bengal

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as chief minister of West Bengal on Saturday. He is heading theparty's first government in the eastern state after a landslide election victory.

Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office at a ceremony in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leaders

In the election, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended the 15-year rule of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.

After Banerjee refused to resign following her party's poll debacle, alleging irregularities by the BJP, the governor dissolved the state assembly on Thursday.

"I have not lost ... I will not tender resignation," Banerjee told a press conference on Tuesday.

Critics have alleged that mass voter deletions after a monthslong Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise helped pave the way for the BJP.

The BJP won 207 seats in the 294-member assembly, while the TMC secured 80.

Adhikari is a former minister in Banerjee's government, and his father served as a Union minister under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DVofSkip next section In Tamil Nadu, political uncertainty continues05/09/2026May 9, 2026

In Tamil Nadu, political uncertainty continues

In Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay's TVK party, which had appeared on course to form the next government on Friday after days of uncertainty, is now back to shoring up the numbers in a bid to claim power.

The past five days have seen intense political wrangling after Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) failed to immediately translate its sweeping election victory into government formation.

Governor Rajendra Arlekar said the party had not demonstrated the majority support needed to stake a claim to power. Despite precedents to the contrary, the governor maintained that proving majority support was "essential" for government formation.

On Friday, three parties — the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) — were reported to have extended support to TVK, giving the party the requisite numbers to form a government.

However, as of Saturday, there was still uncertainty over the reported support.

What do the numbers say?

• Seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly: 243
• Seats won by newcomer TVK: 108
• Seats required to form a government: 118
• TVK seats with the support of the Congress party: 113

Meanwhile, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran alleged that a letter of support from his party's legislator had been forged by the TVK.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DVvuSkip next section Welcome to our coverage05/09/2026May 9, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Shakeel Sobhan | Louis Oelofse Editor

Hello!

This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi studio, bringing you the latest news from across India.

You might think political wrangling would take a back seat over the weekend, but that is not the case. In Tamil Nadu, Vijay is working to shore up the numbers for his TVK party in a bid to claim power.

In West Bengal, the BJP is cementing its dominance with the swearing-in of new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ceremony.

Meanwhile, in Bihar, a recent spate of gang rapes has put the spotlight on the state's law-and-order situation.

For all this and more, stay tuned to our India live blog.

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