Suvendu Adhikari becomes Bengal Chief Minister in BJP’s historic victory

Melbourne, May 9: Ending weeks of political speculation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced Suvendu Adhikari as the next Chief Minister of West Bengal. The announcement was made formally by Union Home Minister Amit Shah after a meeting of the BJP’s newly elected legislators at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town, Kolkata.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new government is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Brigade Parade Ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the event.

During the legislative party meeting, attended by 207 victorious BJP candidates, Suvendu Adhikari was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party. Amit Shah stated that although eight proposals were submitted for the post, every proposal carried only one name — Suvendu Adhikari — leaving no contest for the leadership position.

Addressing the meeting, Shah said, “From Gangotri to Gangasagar, the BJP government has now been established. In the birthplace of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, a government inspired by his ideals is being formed.”

Suvendu Adhikari, born on 15 December 1970, is set to become the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal from 9 May 2026. Before being chosen as chief minister, he served as the Leader of the Opposition and head of the West Bengal unit of the BJP until May 2026. Over the years, he has held several important political positions in both the state and national levels.

Adhikari previously served in the West Bengal government as Minister for Transport from 2016 to 2020 and also handled the Irrigation and Water Resources portfolio between 2018 and 2020. He was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly from Nandigram in 2016 and 2021, and later won from Bhabanipur in 2026. Earlier in his political career, he represented Kanthi Dakshin as an MLA in 2005 and served as Member of Parliament from Tamluk in both 2009 and 2014. He also chaired the Jute Corporation of India from 2020 to 2021.

Before joining the BJP in 2020, Adhikari was a prominent leader of the All India Trinamool Congress from 1998 to 2020. Prior to that, he was associated with the Indian National Congress between 1995 and 1998. He is the son of Sisir Adhikari, a former Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Member of Parliament.

Born in Karkuli village in Purba Medinipur district, Suvendu Adhikari comes from a Bengali Brahmin family. His father Sisir Adhikari has also played a significant role in West Bengal politics and served in the second Manmohan Singh government at the Centre. Adhikari remains unmarried.

Suvendu Adhikari emerged as the BJP’s most prominent face in this year’s Assembly election. Alongside retaining his constituency in Nandigram, he created a major political upset by defeating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by nearly 15,000 votes. The victory significantly strengthened his position within the BJP and intensified demands for him to be named chief minister.

Adhikari had earlier gained national attention in 2021 after defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram. Defeating the Trinamool Congress leader for a second consecutive time further cemented his standing within the party.

Also present at Friday’s meeting was Mohan Charan Majhi, who served as the BJP’s co-observer for West Bengal. Following the meeting, Suvendu Adhikari prepared to meet Governor R. N. Ravi to stake claim to form the government.

Meanwhile, political tensions surrounding the West Bengal election continue to simmer. Mamata Banerjee has not yet formally accepted defeat and has alleged that the BJP secured victory through “vote rigging” with the support of the Election Commission.

The situation has also sparked discussions about a constitutional complication in the state. Although the Governor initiated the process for forming a new government after the Assembly’s term expired, Mamata Banerjee had not resigned from office. Political observers say that administrative responsibilities have effectively remained under the Governor’s supervision until the new government is sworn in.

Results for 293 of West Bengal’s 294 Assembly seats have already been declared. The BJP has won 207 seats, while the Trinamool Congress secured 80 seats. Left parties, Congress and others won six seats combined, with one constituency still awaiting re-election.

Following the BJP’s historic victory, celebrations have spread across Kolkata, with party supporters gathering in large numbers ahead of Saturday’s swearing-in ceremony.