Guv seeks to become Bengal’s ‘adopted child’

Kolkata: Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday submitted Form 8 to apply for inclusion in the state’s electoral roll, declaring that he wished to become “an adopted child of this state.”

The Governor filled the form at Lok Bhavan on the final day of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, marking a symbolic gesture by a sitting Governor. Meanwhile, on the same day, he attended the celebration of Deepavali after getting recognition from UNESCO as chief guest, which began with a Diwali rally from the Indian Museum to Lok Bhavan.

On Thursday morning, Gouranga Malakar, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) of Ward 45, under Part 38 of the Chowringhee Assembly Constituency, visited the Governor for the required verification. He was accompanied by supervisors Jayanta Ghosh and Asok Tiwari.

Bose said that applying to be a voter was not an administrative step but an emotional commitment to Bengal—a land whose culture, literature and human spirit he feels deeply connected to. For him, becoming a voter means “breathing the air of Tagore’s Bengal” and participating in the democratic life of the state he serves. The UNESCO-recognised Deepavali programme, featuring cultural performances, traditional observances and the symbolic rally, amplified the Governor’s message of belonging.

His presence at the celebrations, alongside his voter-registration move, presented a unified statement of emotional, cultural and constitutional ties with the people of Bengal.