Rathindra Bose Set to Become West Bengal Assembly Speaker

PTI, May 15, 2026, Kolkata : Senior BJP leader and first-time MLA Rathindra Bose is set to become the West Bengal Assembly Speaker unopposed after the ruling party nominated him for the constitutional post and the opposition Trinamool Congress decided not to field a candidate, setting the stage for a smooth election on Friday.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday announced Bose, MLA from Cooch Behar Dakshin, as the BJP's candidate for the Speaker's post in the newly constituted 18th West Bengal Assembly.

With the BJP enjoying an overwhelming majority of 207 MLAs in the 294-member House after its emphatic victory in the recent Assembly polls, Bose's elevation had appeared a mere formality.

His ascent also carries a significant regional and political message.

Bose is poised to become the first MLA from North Bengal in post-Independence history to occupy the Speaker's chair in the West Bengal Assembly — a move likely to be viewed as a strategic signal from the BJP government towards a region that has emerged as one of the party's strongest political bastions in the state over the last decade.

Speaking to reporters at the Assembly, Bose said he would carry out the responsibility entrusted to him by the party with sincerity and would seek guidance from experienced legislators whenever necessary.

"I will discharge my responsibilities with the spirit of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'," he said.

A chartered accountant by profession, Bose had long been associated with the RSS before entering active politics.

In the recently held Assembly election, he defeated Trinamool candidate Abhijit De Bhowmik by more than 23,000 votes from the Cooch Behar Dakshin seat.

His selection is also seen as a departure from a long-observed political convention in the state, where parties traditionally preferred lawyers or legislators with legal backgrounds for the Speaker's chair.

During the previous Trinamool regime, veteran legislator Biman Banerjee served as Speaker.

Earlier, under Left Front governments, figures such as Syed Abdul Mansur Habibullah and Hashim Abdul Halim had occupied the chair.

Political observers believe Bose's nomination reflects not just an administrative choice but also the BJP leadership's attempt to balance regional aspirations and reward emerging faces as it seeks to consolidate its political footprint after scripting a historic power shift in Bengal.