Suvendu Adhikari Set to Take Oath as West Bengal’s First BJP Chief Minister

KalimNews, May 8, 2026, Kolkata :A major political shift has unfolded in West Bengal as Suvendu Adhikari has been elected leader of the BJP legislature party and is set to take oath as the first Chief Minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

The decision was finalized during the BJP legislature party meeting held in Kolkata in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who attended as the central observer, along with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as co-observer. Senior BJP leader and former West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh formally proposed Adhikari’s name during the meeting, which received unanimous support from the newly elected BJP legislators.

Addressing the gathering, Amit Shah described the party’s victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections as a historic milestone. According to him, every proposal placed before the legislature party was in support of Suvendu Adhikari, reflecting complete consensus within the party.

The BJP secured a landmark victory by winning 207 out of 294 seats in the Assembly, ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule in West Bengal. The result marks one of the most dramatic political changes in the state’s recent history and a major setback for outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party..

Suvendu Adhikari’s swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 9, 2026, at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, senior BJP leaders, and party workers and Chief Ministers at least 20 states are expected to attend the ceremony.

Preparations are also underway at the West Bengal Assembly for the formation of the new government. Assembly officials have reportedly begun arrangements for a possible first cabinet meeting immediately after the oath-taking ceremony. Sources indicate that newly inducted ministers may assemble there for the inaugural cabinet session chaired by the new Chief Minister.

At the same time, renovation and maintenance work is progressing at Writers’ Buildings, the historic administrative headquarters expected to once again house the Chief Minister’s Office and several important government departments. The building had ceased functioning as the state secretariat in 2013 after the administration was shifted to Nabanna.

Speaking after his election as legislature party leader, Suvendu Adhikari assured that all commitments announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the campaign would be implemented by the incoming BJP government. He stated that both the state and central governments would work together for the welfare of West Bengal.

Adhikari also announced that cases related to crimes and atrocities against women would be reviewed and reopened where necessary. He emphasized that the government’s guiding principles would focus on inclusive development, trust, and welfare for all sections of society.

Highlighting his broader vision for the state, Adhikari said his government would prioritize women’s safety, strengthen law and order, promote national values, and work to restore West Bengal’s position as India’s cultural capital.

Who Is Suvendu Adhikari?

Born on December 15, 1970, in Karkuli, Purba Medinipur, Suvendu Adhikari comes from one of Bengal’s most influential political families. His father, Sisir Adhikari, is a veteran politician who served as a Member of Parliament from Kanthi and as Minister of State in the second Manmohan Singh government.

Adhikari began his political journey in 1995 as a Congress councillor in Kanthi Municipality before joining the Trinamool Congress in 1998. Over the years, he rose rapidly within state politics, becoming a key figure in Bengal’s political landscape.

He entered the West Bengal Assembly in 2006 and gained national attention after defeating CPI(M) leader Lakshman Seth from Tamluk in 2009. Later, he resigned from Parliament to serve as Transport Minister in Mamata Banerjee’s government and was widely regarded as one of her most effective political strategists and organizers.

Adhikari played a significant role in the 2007 Nandigram movement against land acquisition under the Left Front government, a turning point in Bengal politics that contributed heavily to the fall of the Left regime.

In December 2020, he left the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP in the presence of Amit Shah, marking one of the most consequential defections in recent Bengal politics.

In 2021, Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile Nandigram contest. In the 2026 Assembly elections, he once again made headlines by defeating her in Bhabanipur, her long-time political stronghold, by a margin of over 15,000 votes.

Following the BJP’s sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, Adhikari has now been chosen to lead the party’s first-ever government in West Bengal.

Academically, he holds a Master of Arts degree from Rabindra Bharati University, earned in 2011. Outside politics, he is known to have a strong interest in sports, especially cricket and football.

With a new government preparing to take charge, West Bengal now enters a new political chapter under Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership.