West Bengal entered a new political era on Saturday as Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the state’s first BJP Chief Minister at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. In the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several top BJP leaders from across the country, five ministers were also sworn into the inaugural BJP cabinet of Bengal. While portfolios are yet to be announced, the ceremony marked the formal beginning of a historic power shift in the state.
Alongside Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP inducted five leaders into the new ministry — Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Nisith Pramanik, and Khudiram Tudu. Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh took oath immediately after the Chief Minister, followed by Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Khudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik.
The swearing-in ceremony at Brigade Parade Ground witnessed a massive gathering of BJP supporters and an unprecedented show of strength by the party leadership. Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah, BJP national president, Union ministers, and chief ministers from several BJP-ruled states attended the event, underlining the national importance of the BJP’s breakthrough in Bengal.
Suvendu Adhikari, who emerged victorious from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur constituencies, had long been considered the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post once BJP secured a majority in Bengal. Dilip Ghosh won from Kharagpur Sadar, Agnimitra Paul from Asansol South, Ashok Kirtania from Bongaon North, Khudiram Tudu from Ranibandh, and Nisith Pramanik from Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar.
Although the names of the ministers have now been officially announced, the distribution of departments has been kept pending for the moment. Party insiders suggest the final allocation of key portfolios could happen after internal consultations with the central leadership.
The BJP registered a historic victory in the Bengal Assembly elections by winning 207 seats, ending decades of regional political dominance in the state. Since the election results were declared on May 4, speculation over the Chief Minister’s face had dominated political discussions across Bengal.
Throughout the campaign, Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah, and senior BJP leaders repeatedly hinted that the party would appoint a Bengali-speaking leader educated in Bengal as the Chief Minister. Those remarks had significantly strengthened speculation around Suvendu Adhikari’s candidature.
The suspense finally ended on Friday when Amit Shah formally announced Suvendu Adhikari as the BJP Legislature Party leader after a meeting of newly elected MLAs. Shah stated that all eight proposals submitted during the meeting carried only one name — Suvendu Adhikari — with no second candidate proposed.
With the oath-taking complete, attention now shifts toward the functioning of Bengal’s first BJP government and the political changes it could bring to the state in the coming years.
Leave a Reply