In a historic political transition marking the beginning of a new era in West Bengal after the end of over 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule in West Bengal, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of the state and the first from the Bharatiya Janata Party today. The grand oath-taking ceremony was held at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, attended by lakhs of supporters and a host of national and state dignitaries.
The swearing-in ceremony was held a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced Suvendu Adhikari as the Leader of the BJP Legislative Party in West Bengal during a meeting in Kolkata on Friday.
The event saw Suvendu Adhikari take the oath of office and secrecy administered by West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi. Adhikari, who led the BJP to a landslide victory in the 2026 Assembly elections by securing 207 seats, was unanimously elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party on May 8.
Along with him, five members of his Council of Ministers also took oath: Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik. As per reports, Dilip Ghosh and Agnimitra Paul are expected to serve as Deputy Chief Ministers.
The ceremony was graced by a galaxy of national leaders, underscoring the significance of the BJP’s maiden government formation in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present at the venue, along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had played a pivotal role in the party’s strategy in Bengal. Other prominent attendees included BJP national president Nitin Nabin, several Union ministers, and over 20 Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, Arunachal Pradesh’s Pema Khandu, Manipur’s N. Biren Singh, Madhya Pradesh’s Mohan Yadav, Rajasthan’s Bhajanlal Sharma, and others.
Senior Bengal BJP leaders like Samik Bhattacharya, Locket Chatterjee, and Tapas Roy were also in attendance, alongside newly elected MLAs, families of BJP workers who lost their lives in political violence, industrialists, cultural icons, including actor-dancer Mamata Shankar, writers, artists, and members of the judiciary.
The Brigade Parade Ground, a venue steeped in Bengal’s political history, was decked up for the occasion with massive security arrangements involving nearly 4,000 personnel. Cultural performances, including Rabindra Sangeet, added a traditional touch to the event, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
Adhikari, a former TMC minister-turned-BJP stalwart who hails from Purba Medinipur and defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency, addressed the gathering briefly, vowing to fulfil the BJP’s poll promises and usher in an era of development, ending what he termed years of “misrule and violence.” The new CM also won the Nandigram assembly constituency; therefore, he will have to resign from one constituency before taking the oath as an MLA in the assembly.
This swearing-in ceremony signals a new chapter in West Bengal’s politics, with the BJP now in power after a decisive mandate in the April elections. The new government is expected to hold its first cabinet meeting soon at the state Assembly.
