The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday marked a major political breakthrough in West Bengal as Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the state’s new chief minister following the party’s sweeping victory in the assembly elections. The BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, paving the way for its first government in Bengal.
West Bengal Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office to Adhikari and members of his cabinet at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground. The ceremony witnessed the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and several chief ministers from NDA-ruled states.
Full list of BJP Ministers in West Bengal
Alongside Suvendu Adhikari, several BJP leaders were sworn in as ministers in the new government.
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The ministers include:
Dilip Ghosh
Agnimitra Paul
Ashok Kirtania
Kshudiram Tudu
Nisith Pramanik
Adhikari, who emerged as one of the BJP’s key faces in Bengal, registered victories from two constituencies in the elections. He retained Nandigram and also defeated former chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, a result that became one of the biggest talking points of the poll season.
Historic shift in Bengal politics
The BJP’s rise to power ends decades of dominance by the Left Front and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. The state had been governed by the Left for over three decades before Mamata Banerjee-led TMC came to power in 2011 and remained in office for 15 years.
However, the transition of power has not been smooth. Outgoing chief minister Mamata Banerjee refused to step down after the election results, alleging irregularities in the voting and counting process.
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“No question of me resigning; we were defeated not by public mandate but by conspiracy,” she said on Tuesday.
Banerjee also accused the Election Commission and central forces of favouring the BJP during the elections. She claimed that TMC workers faced obstruction and violence during counting. The Election Commission rejected the allegations, stating that the counting process was conducted under established norms and strict supervision.
The BJP, which secured a clear majority in the elections, also dismissed the allegations raised by the TMC leadership.
The West Bengal Assembly was dissolved on May 7, formally clearing the way for the formation of the new government.
