The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday named Suvendu Adhikari as the next Chief Minister of West Bengal after the party’s massive victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The announcement was made during a BJP legislature party meeting in Kolkata attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah said all proposals received during the meeting were in favour of Adhikari’s name.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government is scheduled to take place on May 9 at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.
BJP Ends Mamata Banerjee’s 15-Year Rule
The BJP secured a historic mandate by winning 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, defeating the TMC led by Mamata Banerjee.
Following the results, Banerjee alleged that the verdict was the result of a “conspiracy” and said she would not resign immediately despite the BJP’s landslide win.
The victory marks the first time the BJP will form a government in West Bengal.
Post-Poll Violence Continues Across Bengal
The political transition has been accompanied by rising violence in different parts of the state. Since the election results were announced on May 4, several incidents of clashes, bomb attacks and shootings have been reported.
On Wednesday, Suvendu Adhikari’s close aide and personal assistant Chandranath Rath was shot dead by unidentified bike-borne attackers in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district.
Police said Rath suffered bullet injuries to the head, chest and abdomen. A motorcycle allegedly used in the attack has since been recovered by investigators.
From TMC Strongman to BJP Chief Minister
Fifty-five-year-old Adhikari was once considered one of the closest aides of Mamata Banerjee inside the TMC. He joined the BJP in 2020 ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections after a bitter fallout with the TMC leadership.
Adhikari’s political rise is closely linked to the 2007 Nandigram movement against land acquisition during the Left Front government. His leadership during the protests helped strengthen the TMC in East Midnapore and neighbouring districts.
In 2021, he defeated Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile Nandigram Assembly seat, emerging as one of the BJP’s strongest faces in Bengal politics. In the 2026 election, he further consolidated his influence within the party.
Amit Shah Calls for ‘Sonar Bangla’
After Adhikari’s selection, Amit Shah said BJP workers now have the responsibility to fulfil the dream of “Sonar Bangla” (Golden Bengal).
Shah said, “It is the responsibility of all BJP workers to fulfil the expectations of the people of Bengal.”
He also invoked the words of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, saying Bengal was moving towards a future “where the mind is free from fear and the head is held high.”
Assembly Dissolved Ahead of Government Formation
West Bengal Governor R N Ravi dissolved the state Assembly on May 7 following the BJP’s victory and preparations for the formation of the new government.
