In a historic political shift, Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister of West Bengal since Independence, formally ending the 15-year rule of the All India Trinamool Congress in the state.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata amid tight security and a massive turnout of BJP supporters from across Bengal and neighbouring states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders attended the ceremony.
Massive security arrangements across Kolkata
Authorities enforced multi-layered security arrangements across several sensitive locations in Kolkata ahead of the ceremony.
Security was significantly tightened outside Adhikari’s residence in Chinar Park, the Brigade Parade Grounds, and the Kalighat residence of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force and Kolkata Police were deployed in large numbers to manage crowds and maintain order.
Thousands of supporters carrying BJP flags and chanting slogans gathered across the city before heading toward the venue, turning the swearing-in into a major political show of strength.
Legislature party formally elected Adhikari on Friday
The formal elevation of Suvendu Adhikari came a day earlier when he was unanimously chosen as leader of the BJP legislature party.
At the meeting attended by the party’s 207 MLAs, Amit Shah announced Adhikari’s name after receiving multiple proposals, all backing the same candidate. The BJP had appointed Shah and Mohan Charan Majhi as central observers for the crucial meeting.
BJP’s biggest breakthrough in Bengal
The Bharatiya Janata Party scripted a landmark victory in the 2026 assembly elections by winning 207 of the 294 seats in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
The All India Trinamool Congress was reduced to 80 seats, marking one of the most dramatic electoral shifts in Bengal’s modern political history.
From Trinamool leader to Bengal’s new chief minister
Suvendu Adhikari was once a senior leader in the All India Trinamool Congress and a key figure from East Midnapore.
He resigned from the Mamata Banerjee-led government and joined the BJP in December 2020 in the presence of Amit Shah.
Adhikari later emerged as Banerjee’s principal political challenger after defeating her in the high-profile Nandigram contest in 2021. In the 2026 election, he retained Nandigram and further strengthened his political stature, eventually becoming the face of the BJP’s Bengal breakthrough.
Beginning of a new political chapter
With the oath-taking of Suvendu Adhikari, a new political chapter begins in West Bengal.
The formation of the BJP’s first government in the state marks one of the most significant political realignments in eastern India in decades and is expected to reshape Bengal’s governance and electoral landscape in the years ahead.
