In India's West Bengal state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as chief minister on Saturday. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior party leaders.

The BJP ended the 15-year rule of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) party in the election. Banerjee refused to resign, alleging irregularities by the BJP, and the governor dissolved the assembly.

Critics allege that mass voter deletions after a months-long 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.

In Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay's TVK party is struggling to secure the numbers to claim power. Governor Rajendra Arlekar said the party had not demonstrated the majority support needed to form a government.

Several parties reportedly extended support to TVK, but uncertainty remains. AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran alleged that a letter of support from his party's legislator had been forged by the TVK.

Source: www.dw.com