Suvendu Adhikari to Take Oath as West Bengal’s First BJP Chief Minister

New Delhi, May 2026 : Suvendu Adhikari is set to be sworn in on Saturday as the first Chief Minister of West Bengal from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a historic political shift in the state since Independence.

The grand oath-taking ceremony will be held at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata and is expected to witness the presence of several top national leaders and dignitaries from across the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union ministers, and chief ministers of all NDA-ruled states are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, underlining the political significance of the BJP’s victory in West Bengal.

The formal announcement of Adhikari’s elevation came on Friday during a meeting chaired by Amit Shah with newly elected BJP legislators following the recently concluded Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on May 4.

During the meeting, Adhikari was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party in the West Bengal Assembly, officially paving the way for him to become the next Chief Minister of the state.

Addressing party legislators, Shah said the process of choosing the legislature party leader was conducted democratically and transparently. According to him, eight proposals were submitted during the meeting and all of them unanimously proposed Adhikari’s name.

“The process of selecting the leader of the party’s legislative party in the state assembly has been completed. A total of eight proposals were received. In all the proposals, there was just one name. Enough time was given for any proposal for a second name. But no second name was proposed. So, I proposed the name of Suvendu Adhikari as the next Chief Minister of West Bengal,” Shah said.

Adhikari’s rise marks a major political milestone for the BJP, which has managed to form a government in West Bengal for the first time since Independence, ending decades of dominance by regional and Left parties in the state.

In the Assembly elections, Adhikari secured victories from both the Nandigram constituency in East Midnapore district and Bhabanipur in South Kolkata. His victory in Bhabanipur gained national attention as he defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by more than 15,000 votes.

Adhikari had first emerged as a prominent BJP leader during the 2021 Assembly elections when he defeated Banerjee in Nandigram, earning the reputation of a “giant killer.” His latest electoral success has further strengthened his stature within the party and positioned him as the BJP’s undisputed face in West Bengal.

The swearing-in ceremony is expected to symbolise a new political chapter in Bengal politics, with the BJP preparing to take charge of the state government for the first time in history.