Suvendu Adhikari Takes Oath as West Bengal Chief Minister

Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as West Bengal’s first-ever BJP chief minister on Saturday, May 9, 2026, after the party secured a historic landslide victory in the state assembly elections.

The oath ceremony began at 11:00 AM IST at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, where Governor R. N. Ravi administered the oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, senior BJP leaders, and thousands of supporters.

BJP Ends Mamata Banerjee Era in Bengal

The BJP’s victory marks one of the biggest political shifts in modern Bengal politics. The party won 207 of 293 assembly seats, while Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress was reduced to 80 seats.

Political analysts described the result as a breakthrough moment for the BJP in eastern India, ending more than 15 years of Trinamool dominance in the state.

Why the Victory Is Historic

Adhikari, once a senior Trinamool Congress leader, became the BJP’s strongest face in Bengal after joining the party. He defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram by more than 15,000 votes, a result that became a defining moment of the 2026 West Bengal elections.

The BJP also chose Rabindra Jayanti for the swearing-in ceremony, giving the event strong cultural symbolism in Bengal politics.

New Cabinet and Key Appointments

Five BJP MLAs joined the new cabinet, including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtonia, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik.

Later on Saturday, retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta was appointed adviser to the chief minister, while IAS officer Shantanu Bala was named Adhikari’s private secretary.

With the BJP now forming government in West Bengal for the first time, national attention is turning toward how the new administration plans to reshape governance, industry, and law-and-order policies in the state.