Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal since Independence, formally ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule in the state at a high-security ceremony held at Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders attended the swearing-in ceremony, which drew thousands of BJP supporters from across Bengal and neighbouring states.
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Security was tightened across key locations in Kolkata ahead of the event, including outside Adhikari’s Chinar Park residence, Brigade Parade Grounds and the Kalighat residence of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. CRPF personnel and Kolkata Police maintained a multi-layered security arrangement amid heightened political activity in the city.
Supporters carrying BJP flags and raising slogans gathered at various points before proceeding towards the ceremony venue. “It is a historic day. We have come to witness West Bengal getting independence from the clutches of the TMC,” a supporter from Jharkhand said.
Adhikari’s elevation was formalised on Friday after Amit Shah announced him as the leader of the BJP legislature party at a meeting of the party’s 207 MLAs in Kolkata.
“A meeting of our West Bengal legislature party was held. The BJP national president nominated me and Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi as central observers. We received nearly eight proposals and all of them suggested the same name,” Shah said.
The BJP scripted a historic victory in the two-phase assembly elections, winning 207 of the 294 seats in the assembly, while the TMC was reduced to 80 seats.
Suvendu Adhikari’s rise
Adhikari, once a senior Trinamool Congress leader from East Midnapore, resigned from the Mamata Banerjee-led government and joined the BJP in December 2020 at a rally attended by Amit Shah. He later emerged as Banerjee’s principal political rival after defeating her in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly elections.
In this election, Adhikari retained Nandigram and also defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur, dealing a major setback to the TMC chief in her political stronghold.
Following the results, Banerjee accused the BJP, the Election Commission and central armed forces of manipulating the polls and refused to resign as chief minister. Governor RN Ravi subsequently dissolved the assembly on Thursday and did not appoint Banerjee as caretaker chief minister, paving the way for the formation of the BJP government.
