- Suvendu Adhikari was officially named West Bengal Chief Minister on Friday
- BJP's win ended Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in West Bengal
- Dilip Ghosh proposed Adhikari's name at the legislature party meeting
Suvendu Adhikari was formally named the Chief Minister of West Bengal on Friday, days after the BJP's resounding victory in the recently concluded assembly elections.
Dilip Ghosh, a senior BJP leader and former state president, proposed Adhikari's name at the legislature party meeting held in Kolkata earlier in the day. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was appointed the central observer for the meeting, and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the co-observer, were present.
"I announce the name of Suvendu Adhikari elected as Leader of West Bengal BJP Legislative Party," Home Minister Shah announced at the legislature party meeting.
The development marks the end of Trinamool Congress rule in West Bengal after 15 years. The BJP's victory in the polls held last month ended Mamata Banerjee's long hold on power and delivered one of the sharpest reversals in her political career.
"The atmosphere that had been created since the Communist era was deepened by Mamata Banerjee, and it was almost impossible to cast your vote there... I am very thankful for the huge victory that the people of Bengal have given us by trusting BJP and our leader, Narendra Modi," Shah added. "This is Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's government."
Adhikari, who joined the BJP in December 2020 after leaving the Trinamool Congress, where he had once been a close associate of Banerjee, emerged as the clear choice. He defeated Banerjee in Nandigram in 2021 and more recently won the Bhabanipur seat, her traditional stronghold, by a margin of over 15,000 votes.
Two Deputies Expected
The BJP is understood to be considering the appointment of two deputy chief ministers. No one has held the post of a deputy chief minister in Bengal in the last two decades, the last being CPM leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who served under former chief minister Jyoti Basu.
The key contenders for the deputy chief ministers' posts -- one of which is likely to go to a woman leader - are Agnimitra Paul, who won from Asansol Dakshin and Shankar Ghosh, the winning candidate from Siliguri. Home Minister Shah held separate meetings with Paul and Ghosh in Kolkata to discuss these arrangements.
The swearing-in ceremony for the new government is scheduled to be held at 11 AM tomorrow at the historic Brigade Parade Grounds in the heart of Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, and chief ministers from other BJP-ruled states are expected to attend.
Governor RN Ravi dissolved the state assembly on Thursday, clearing the legal path for the new administration.
Suvendu Adhikari's Political Journey
Adhikari built his early career within the Trinamool Congress and played a big part in expanding the party's organisation in rural areas. His switch to the BJP came after growing differences with Mamata Banerjee. Since joining the BJP, he has been one of its most visible faces in West Bengal, leading aggressive campaigns against the Trinamool government.
Senior BJP leaders said his organisational network and direct wins against Banerjee strengthened his claim to the top post. While other names, including Samik Bhattacharya and Swapan Dasgupta, who won from Rashbehari, were discussed in party circles, the central leadership settled on Adhikari.
The BJP's success ends more than a decade and a half of Trinamool dominance. The party had mounted a strong challenge in 2021 but fell short. This time it secured a clear majority.
