Suvendu Adhikari to Chair First BJP Cabinet Meeting at Nabanna as Bengal Begins New Political Chapter

Kolkata, May 2026 : West Bengal’s newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, is set to hold its first cabinet meeting on Monday at Nabanna, the current state secretariat located in Mandirtala in Howrah district, marking the beginning of a new administrative and political phase in the state.

Although the BJP had earlier announced plans to shift the state secretariat back to the historic Writers’ Buildings in central Kolkata, renovation work at the iconic administrative headquarters is still underway. As a result, the new Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues will temporarily function from Nabanna until the restoration process is completed.

The decision to eventually move back to Writers’ Buildings carries symbolic significance for the BJP government. Before Mamata Banerjee shifted the secretariat in 2013, every Chief Minister of West Bengal — from the state’s first Chief Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghosh to former Left Front Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee — operated from Writers’ Buildings, which long served as the administrative nerve centre of the state.

Nabanna itself has an interesting history. The building was originally conceived during the Left Front era as a garments hub. However, after the Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011, Mamata Banerjee decided to relocate the state secretariat from Writers’ Buildings to Nabanna in 2013. The new administrative headquarters formally began functioning from October 5 that year.

Now, with the BJP assuming power in West Bengal for the first time, the government is seeking to restore the administrative traditions associated with Writers’ Buildings while continuing operations from Nabanna in the interim period.

According to sources, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s first official day at the secretariat will begin at 10.30 a.m. with a meeting involving BJP state president and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya. The interaction is expected to focus on coordination between the government and the party organisation as the BJP settles into power in the state.

At noon, Adhikari will preside over the first cabinet meeting of his government. Key decisions are expected during the session, including the induction of additional ministers into the cabinet and the finalisation of portfolio allocations among cabinet members.

Following the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister is also scheduled to conduct a series of high-level administrative reviews aimed at setting the tone for governance under the new regime.

His first administrative interaction will be with senior state bureaucrats, including the Chief Secretary and secretaries of various departments. The meeting is expected to focus on governance priorities, departmental coordination, and implementation of the new government’s agenda.

The second meeting of the day will involve District Magistrates from across West Bengal, with discussions likely to centre on district administration, public service delivery, and development projects.

Later in the day, Adhikari will hold a crucial law-and-order review meeting with senior police officials, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner, commissioners of various police commissionerates, and district police superintendents.

Ahead of assuming office, Adhikari had stated that his administration would function on the principle of “collective leadership,” indicating a departure from what he described as the highly centralised style of governance followed by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The BJP government’s first day in office is therefore being closely watched, both for the administrative decisions it takes and the political signals it sends about the party’s governing approach in West Bengal.

Team Maverick.