New Delhi: Suvendu Adhikari on Friday took oath as the first Chief Minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, marking a major political shift in the state after the BJP secured victory in the Assembly elections and ended the 15 year rule of the All India Trinamool Congress.
The swearing in ceremony took place at Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata, where RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Adhikari and members of his new cabinet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were present at the ceremony, underlining the significance of the BJP’s first ever government in the state.
Adhikari’s rise to the top post marks a dramatic political journey. Once considered a close aide of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a key leader within the Trinamool Congress, he later emerged as one of the BJP’s strongest faces in Bengal politics. His role in constituencies such as Nandigram and Bhabanipur helped strengthen the BJP’s campaign across the state.
The BJP won 207 seats in the 294 member Assembly, securing a decisive mandate and bringing an end to the Trinamool Congress government that had ruled Bengal for over a decade and a half.
Several senior BJP leaders also took oath as ministers in the new government, including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik.
The BJP leadership highlighted the diverse social representation in the cabinet, with leaders from OBC, tribal, Matua, Rajbanshi, and other communities included in the initial ministry. The oath taking ceremony also coincided with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
