Published: 12:08 AM, 09 May 2026
BJP names Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal CM
Suvendu Adhikari was on Friday elected as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader in West Bengal, which paved the way for him to take oath as the first BJP chief minister of the state.
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, according to Indian media.
"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.
Suvendu Adhikari will replace Mamata Banerjee as chief minister. The swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in the state will be held today (9 May) at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata.
The BJP won 207 of the 294 seats in the assembly, ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress in Bengal.
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.
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.
