Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in Saturday as chief minister of West Bengal, the first Bharatiya Janata Party leader to head the state’s top elected office after the party won a two-thirds majority in the assembly election.
Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Adhikari was sworn in in Bengali in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and other senior BJP leaders.
The BJP’s win ended 15 years of rule by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. The Election Commission of India results announced on May 4 showed the BJP had won 207 of 293 declared seats, and the TMC had bagged 80 seats.
Adhikari, who became a BJP member before the 2021 election cycle after being a TMC leader, was the opposition leader before being chosen to head the new government. His victory over Banerjee in Bhabanipur and the support base he enjoyed in East Medinipur enhanced his standing in the party.
Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik also took the oath as ministers, Indian media reports said.
The move came after several days of political tension. Banerjee accused the BJP of rigging the vote count and said the Election Commission had acted in its favor. TMC leaders demanded release of CCTV footage from counting centers.
Reports also detailed attacks, arson, and vandalism against TMC offices and workers in several districts. The BJP denied extending cover to offenders, saying law enforcement agencies would deal with criminal activities.
Adhikari’s personal assistant Chandranath Rath was shot dead on May 6. The BJP said that it was a preplanned attack, and the TMC condemned the killing and demanded an impartial probe. The case remained under investigation, police said.
Banerjee refused to quit, and Governor Ravi dissolved the assembly on May 7, paving the way for a new government. The next day Adhikari was elected leader of the BJP legislative party, with the party claiming his name had unanimous support.
The BJP’s move made Adhikari the face of its first government in West Bengal, even as there were internal questions about his past association with the TMC and lack of an RSS background.
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