Suvendu Adhikari is West Bengal’s New CM, BJP’s First in State
In a historic political shift in West Bengal, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has been unanimously elected as the new Chief Minister of the state, becoming the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party to head a government in Bengal. The decision was formally announced on Friday during the BJP Legislature Party meeting held in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The crucial meeting took place at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town, Kolkata, where newly elected BJP MLAs unanimously backed Adhikari as their legislative party leader. Amit Shah, who arrived in Kolkata earlier in the day, held extensive discussions with party legislators and senior leaders before making the official announcement.
With the BJP registering a landslide victory in the Assembly elections, the party is now set to form its first-ever government in West Bengal. The BJP won 207 of the 293 seats it contested in the 294-member Assembly, marking a decisive mandate and a dramatic political turnaround in a state long dominated by regional and Left parties.
Suvendu Adhikari will take oath as Chief Minister on Saturday at 11 AM at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground. The grand swearing-in ceremony is expected to witness the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin, several Union ministers and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states.
According to party sources, the new government will also feature two women Deputy Chief Ministers, a move seen as an attempt to strengthen women’s representation and broaden the party’s social outreach in the state.
Adhikari’s rise marks a defining moment in Bengal politics. Once a close aide of Mamata Banerjee and a key figure in the Trinamool Congress, he emerged as one of the BJP’s strongest faces in Bengal after switching sides ahead of the elections. His aggressive campaign and grassroots connect played a major role in the BJP’s massive electoral success.
The BJP leader achieved a stunning double victory by winning from both the Nandigram and Bhabanipur Assembly constituencies. In Bhabanipur, he defeated Mamata Banerjee by a margin of over 15,000 votes, delivering one of the biggest political upsets in the state’s recent history.
Party leaders described the victory as a “new political dawn” for Bengal, asserting that the BJP government would focus on governance, industrial growth, infrastructure development and restoring investor confidence in the state.
