Thaindian News

Kolkata, May 20 (IANS) In the first sign of change in West Bengal, most ministers in the new Trinamool Congress-led government Friday took oath of office in the name of god - quite unlike the Marxist ministers who would swear allegiance to the constitution.

The Left Front, which ruled the state uninterruptedly from 1977, was led by the communists, who are atheists by political belief. The communist leaders would “solemnly” affirm their allegiance to the constitution.

In contrast, most Trinamool Congress and Congress leaders, who took oath of office Friday, used the expression “do swear in the name of god”.

Purnendu Bose, a Trinamool legislator, was a rare exception as he simply said “solemnly affirm”.

Banerjee struck other different notes as well. While her predecessors of the Left Front era chose to go in a car from Raj Bhavan to the state secretariat, Writers’ Building, about two kilometres away, the state’s first woman chief minister walked the distance amid the swirling crowds after the swearing-in.

And though, Banerjee, 56, is not one to be formally dressed, she imposed a dress code on ministers — the men were asked to take oath in dhoti and kurta and the women in saris.