Suvendu Adhikari Named Bengal Chief Minister
BJP legislature party elects Adhikari after historic victory ending 15 years of TMC rule
- Suvendu Adhikari elected BJP legislature party leader
- Amit Shah announces Adhikari’s selection in Kolkata
- BJP government to take oath at Brigade Parade Ground on Saturday
- Party considering two deputy chief ministers for Bengal
GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 8th May: Suvendu Adhikari was formally named the next Chief Minister of West Bengal on Friday, days after the BJP secured a sweeping victory in the Assembly elections and ended the 15-year rule of the All India Trinamool Congress.
The announcement was made during the BJP legislature party meeting in Kolkata, where senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh proposed Adhikari’s name.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who attended the meeting as the party’s central observer, officially declared Adhikari as the elected leader of the BJP Legislative Party.
“I announce the name of Suvendu Adhikari elected as Leader of West Bengal BJP Legislative Party,” Shah said.
The development marks a major political shift in Bengal politics, ending over a decade and a half of Trinamool Congress dominance under Mamata Banerjee.
Addressing party legislators, Shah described the BJP victory as historic and credited the people of Bengal for placing trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
“This is Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s government,” Shah said while referring to the BJP’s ideological roots in Bengal.
Adhikari, who left the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP in December 2020, emerged as the frontrunner after defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in 2021 and later winning Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes.
“Fear is out and trust is in. The people of Bengal have given us a historic mandate,” Adhikari said after his election.
The BJP is also considering appointing two deputy chief ministers in the new government. Sources said one of the posts may go to a woman leader.
Agnimitra Paul and Shankar Ghosh are among the leading contenders for the deputy chief ministerial positions.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the historic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states are expected to attend the event.
Governor R. N. Ravi dissolved the state Assembly on Thursday, paving the way for the formation of the new government.
