THE STATESMAN

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari yesterday took his oath as the chief minister of West Bengal, becoming the state’s first BJP chief minister since independence and marking a historic political shift in Bengal after decades of regional party dominance.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the grand swearing-in ceremony held at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground amid massive security arrangements and the presence of senior BJP leaders, party workers and supporters from across the state.

Ahead of the ceremony, Adhikari described the moment as the beginning of a new chapter for West Bengal.

In a post on social media, he said, “Today marks the end of decades of misrule and the beginning of a ‘Double Engine’ era of development, peace, and prosperity. The era of ‘Sonar Bangla’ officially begins. Welcome, Pradhan Mantri Ji.”

The announcement of Adhikari as the BJP Legislature Party leader was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who served as the party’s Central Observer for the leadership election. Shah chaired a meeting of newly elected BJP legislators in Kolkata a day before the ceremony.

Adhikari emerged as one of the BJP’s central faces in the Assembly elections and delivered a major political blow to the Trinamool Congress by defeating outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the Bhabanipur constituency by more than 15,000 votes. He had contested from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur during the polls.

The BJP secured a sweeping victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, winning 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly. The Trinamool Congress, which had ruled the state for 15 years, was reduced to 80 seats, signalling a dramatic shift in Bengal’s political landscape.