Along With Five Ministers in BJP’s Historic Government

Kolkata, May 2026 : Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, leading the first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state since Independence. Along with Adhikari, five other leaders were sworn in as members of the new Council of Ministers during a grand ceremony held at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.

West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, senior party leaders and thousands of BJP supporters.

The five ministers sworn in alongside Adhikari were former BJP national vice-president and former West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, fashion designer-turned-politician and BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, former Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik, senior leader Ashok Kirtania and tribal leader Khudiram Tudu.

Dilip Ghosh took oath immediately after Adhikari, followed by Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Khudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik. However, the portfolios of the ministers had not been announced at the time of filing this report.

Political observers noted that the composition of the first set of ministers reflects the BJP’s attempt to ensure broad social and regional representation in the new government.

Ashok Kirtania is considered an influential representative of the Matua community, which played a crucial role in the BJP’s electoral success in several districts of southern Bengal. Khudiram Tudu represents the tribal community, another voter segment where the BJP performed strongly in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

Nisith Pramanik is regarded as a prominent face of the Rajbanshi community in North Bengal, a region where the BJP registered a major victory against the Trinamool Congress. Dilip Ghosh is identified with the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, while Agnimitra Paul comes from a Kayastha background and has emerged as one of the prominent women faces of the party in the state.

Suvendu Adhikari himself belongs to a Brahmin family from East Midnapore district. Analysts believe the social diversity among the first six ministers sends a clear political message that the BJP government intends to project inclusiveness and balanced representation across caste and community lines.

The swearing-in ceremony marked a historic moment in Bengal politics, ending decades of rule by the Congress, Left Front and later the Trinamool Congress. BJP leaders described the occasion as the beginning of a “new era” of governance and development under a “double-engine government”.

During the election campaign, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had repeatedly stated that the BJP’s chief ministerial face in Bengal would be “a son of the soil, a Bengali and someone educated in Bengali medium.” Political observers say Suvendu Adhikari fit that description perfectly, helping the BJP connect more effectively with Bengali voters.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, which has now moved into the Opposition benches after ruling the state for 15 years, is yet to announce the name of its Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly — a position held by Suvendu Adhikari from 2021 until the 2026 election victory.