Adhikari was elected leader of the BJP legislative party on Thursday in the presence of Amit Shah, who was appointed the central observer for the process. Shah, along with Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, chaired the meeting attended by 207 BJP MLAs.
“I announce the name of Suvendu Adhikari as leader of the West Bengal BJP legislative party,” Shah said after the meeting, held following the BJP’s majority win in the Assembly polls.
Shah said eight proposals were received, all backing Adhikari’s candidature. “There was no second name. As central observer, I elect Suvendu Adhikari as chief of the legislative party,” he said.
Sources said Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh and Asansol MLA Agnimitra Paul are likely to be appointed deputy chief ministers, while veteran Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta and former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh are expected to be part of the cabinet.
Emphasising collective leadership, Adhikari said the BJP government would work as a team. “Not me, we will achieve this,” he said.
Adhikari said a commission headed by a retired judge would be formed to probe “institutionalised corruption” and promised action in cases ranging from Sandeshkhali to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. “We talk less and work more,” he said, adding that the BJP would fulfil its poll promises in a time-bound manner.Shah described the BJP victory as historic and thanked the people of Bengal for the “huge mandate”. “For decades, democracy had taken a back seat and politics of fear had deepened in Bengal. Keeping faith in Narendra Modi, people have given us this mandate,” he said.
Invoking Rabindranath Tagore, Shah said the BJP would work towards building “Sonar Bangla” where “the mind is without fear and the head is held high”. He added that the BJP government would end “goondaraj, syndicate raj and corruption”.
Highlighting the BJP’s growth in Bengal, Shah said the party had risen from one seat in 2014 to over 200 seats now. “In 23 districts, BJP is now number one,” he said, adding that the party’s average victory margin was 28,000 votes.
Shah also stressed that the BJP government would crack down on infiltration. “We will weed out every infiltrator from Bengal and India. Infiltration-free Bengal and safety of people will be ensured,” he said.
He urged all political parties to work together to end political violence in the state. “It is our responsibility that news of violence and poll-related scams is never heard again,” Shah said.
Majhi said Bengal had chosen the “path of growth” and described the BJP’s rise in the state – from three seats in 2014 to more than 200 now – as unprecedented.
