Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced Suvendu Adhikari as the BJP legislature party leader in West Bengal, clearing the way for him to become the next Chief Minister after the party’s massive Assembly election victory.
Kolkata : The suspense over West Bengal’s next Chief Minister finally ended on Friday after Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially announced Suvendu Adhikari as the BJP legislature party leader. The decision was taken unanimously during a meeting of the BJP’s 207 newly elected MLAs at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town, confirming that Suvendu Adhikari will lead the next BJP government in West Bengal.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government is scheduled to take place on Saturday at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the ceremony.
Speaking to reporters after the legislature party meeting, Amit Shah said eight proposals had been submitted for the election of the BJP legislature party leader, and every proposal carried only one name — Suvendu Adhikari. Since no alternative name was proposed, he was unanimously elected as the BJP’s choice for Chief Minister of West Bengal. Shah described the development as a historic political moment, stating that the BJP government had now been established “from Gangotri to Gangasagar” and that a government inspired by the ideals of Syama Prasad Mukherjee would soon take charge in his birthplace.
Amit Shah attended the meeting as the BJP’s chief observer, while Mohan Charan Majhi served as co-observer. Under their supervision, the BJP MLAs formally endorsed Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership. Party sources indicated that Adhikari is expected to meet Governor R. N. Ravi shortly to stake claim to form the government.
Ever since the Assembly election results were declared, Suvendu Adhikari had emerged as the strongest contender for the Chief Minister’s post. His political stature rose sharply after defeating Mamata Banerjee in direct electoral contests for the second consecutive time. After defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in 2021, Adhikari once again secured a major victory over the Trinamool Congress chief in Bhabanipur during the latest Assembly elections.
This time, the margin was even more significant. In Bhabanipur, Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee by more than 15,000 votes. He also retained his dominance in his stronghold Nandigram, defeating Trinamool candidate Pabitra Kar by nearly 10,000 votes. Political observers believe such a direct and repeated electoral battle between a sitting Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition is extremely rare in West Bengal politics, and Adhikari’s back-to-back victories substantially strengthened his acceptability within the BJP.
Despite his clear advantage, some uncertainty remained because of the BJP leadership’s history of springing surprises while selecting Chief Ministers in several states. Speculation continued over whether the party would project a relatively unknown face in West Bengal as well. However, after Suvendu Adhikari’s decisive victory over Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, many political analysts felt it had become nearly impossible for the BJP to overlook his claim to the top post. There were also concerns within the party that appointing anyone else could trigger dissatisfaction among sections of the state leadership.
In the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, results for 293 of the state’s 294 seats have been declared. The BJP secured a massive mandate by winning 207 seats, while the Trinamool Congress managed 80 seats. The Left Front, Congress and other parties together won six seats. Polling in the Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas is scheduled to be held again on the 21st.
Meanwhile, the term of the 17th West Bengal Legislative Assembly officially ended on May 7, following which Governor R. N. Ravi issued a notification dissolving the Assembly. However, despite the electoral defeat, Mamata Banerjee has not resigned from the post of Chief Minister. She alleged that the BJP had “forcibly captured” the election and stated that the Trinamool Congress would pursue legal remedies against the results.
The political deadlock created an unprecedented constitutional situation in the state, with administrative authority effectively resting with the Governor until the new government is sworn in. With the BJP legislature party now formally electing Suvendu Adhikari as its leader, all speculation has finally ended, and West Bengal is set to be governed for the next five years under a BJP government led by Suvendu Adhikari.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government is scheduled to take place on Saturday at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the ceremony.
Speaking to reporters after the legislature party meeting, Amit Shah said eight proposals had been submitted for the election of the BJP legislature party leader, and every proposal carried only one name — Suvendu Adhikari. Since no alternative name was proposed, he was unanimously elected as the BJP’s choice for Chief Minister of West Bengal. Shah described the development as a historic political moment, stating that the BJP government had now been established “from Gangotri to Gangasagar” and that a government inspired by the ideals of Syama Prasad Mukherjee would soon take charge in his birthplace.
Amit Shah attended the meeting as the BJP’s chief observer, while Mohan Charan Majhi served as co-observer. Under their supervision, the BJP MLAs formally endorsed Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership. Party sources indicated that Adhikari is expected to meet Governor R. N. Ravi shortly to stake claim to form the government.
Ever since the Assembly election results were declared, Suvendu Adhikari had emerged as the strongest contender for the Chief Minister’s post. His political stature rose sharply after defeating Mamata Banerjee in direct electoral contests for the second consecutive time. After defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in 2021, Adhikari once again secured a major victory over the Trinamool Congress chief in Bhabanipur during the latest Assembly elections.
This time, the margin was even more significant. In Bhabanipur, Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee by more than 15,000 votes. He also retained his dominance in his stronghold Nandigram, defeating Trinamool candidate Pabitra Kar by nearly 10,000 votes. Political observers believe such a direct and repeated electoral battle between a sitting Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition is extremely rare in West Bengal politics, and Adhikari’s back-to-back victories substantially strengthened his acceptability within the BJP.
Despite his clear advantage, some uncertainty remained because of the BJP leadership’s history of springing surprises while selecting Chief Ministers in several states. Speculation continued over whether the party would project a relatively unknown face in West Bengal as well. However, after Suvendu Adhikari’s decisive victory over Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, many political analysts felt it had become nearly impossible for the BJP to overlook his claim to the top post. There were also concerns within the party that appointing anyone else could trigger dissatisfaction among sections of the state leadership.
In the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, results for 293 of the state’s 294 seats have been declared. The BJP secured a massive mandate by winning 207 seats, while the Trinamool Congress managed 80 seats. The Left Front, Congress and other parties together won six seats. Polling in the Falta Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas is scheduled to be held again on the 21st.
Meanwhile, the term of the 17th West Bengal Legislative Assembly officially ended on May 7, following which Governor R. N. Ravi issued a notification dissolving the Assembly. However, despite the electoral defeat, Mamata Banerjee has not resigned from the post of Chief Minister. She alleged that the BJP had “forcibly captured” the election and stated that the Trinamool Congress would pursue legal remedies against the results.
The political deadlock created an unprecedented constitutional situation in the state, with administrative authority effectively resting with the Governor until the new government is sworn in. With the BJP legislature party now formally electing Suvendu Adhikari as its leader, all speculation has finally ended, and West Bengal is set to be governed for the next five years under a BJP government led by Suvendu Adhikari.
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