Suvendu Adhikari set to be next West Bengal CM

Suvendu Adhikari was elected as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader today (8 May), which paved the way for him to take oath as chief minister of West Bengal.

"I announce Suvendu Adhikari as the leader of the BJP legislature party in West Bengal," senior BJP leader and Indian Home Minister Amit Shah told reporters in Kolkata.

Shah's announcement came after a meeting of the party's legislature wing. It was Shah who proposed the name of the 55-year-old Suvendu as the leader of the legislature party.

Suvendu will replace Mamata Banerjee as chief minister.

The swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in the state will be held tomorrow (9 May) at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata.

The BJP won 207 of the 294 seats in the assembly, ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress in Bengal.

Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata, adding to his earlier victory over her in Nandigram in 2021.

Shah was actively involved in the process of selecting BJP's new chief minister in Bengal and had been appointed the party's central observer for the state.

"We will give our best for the development of West Bengal," Shah said.

He added that the BJP's victory in the West Bengal polls was "very significant".

"Our responsibility has increased with this huge mandate," Shah said. "I also want to say that the expectations the people of Bengal have placed on us and the mandate they have given with hope and trust, we will make every effort to ensure that their faith is not broken in any way."

He added, "There should be no shortcomings in our work. It is the responsibility of every BJP worker to move forward with the goal of building a 'Sonar Bangla' and to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Bengal… It is now our duty to fulfill the promises made by Modi to the people of Bengal and to dedicate our best efforts in the service of the people."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah, BJP President Nitin Nabin and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Preparations for the event have already begun in Kolkata, with senior officials reviewing arrangements at Brigade Parade Ground.

Discussions are also underway regarding cabinet composition, portfolio allocation and governance priorities for the incoming administration.

The BJP's victory in Bengal is being viewed as the party's biggest political breakthrough in eastern India and a major shift in the state's political landscape.

After the oath-taking ceremony, the new chief minister, along with his deputies and select dignitaries, will head to the 250-year-old Writers' Buildings in central Kolkata to symbolically begin his tenure from the second floor of the state secretariat.

He will then move to the state assembly, located about 1.5 kilometres away, where he will operate until renovation work at his chamber in Writers' Buildings is completed.