Suvendu Adhikari becomes first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal

A historic chapter has been added to West Bengal politics today, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power for the first time and Suvendu Adhikari took the oath of office as the Chief Minister of the state. In a grand ceremony held in Kolkata, West Bengal Governor R N Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Suvendu Adhikari and five other ministers. The leaders who took the oath of office along with him include Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kushbiram Tudu, and Nisth Pramanik. With the BJP's historic victory, a right-wing party has formed a government in the state for the first time.

On May 8, the BJP legislative party had unanimously elected Suvendu Adhikari as its leader, paving the way for him to become the Chief Minister. The BJP had won a landslide victory in the assembly elections, capturing power in the state. Suvendu Adhikari's political journey has spanned over three decades. He began his career in politics as a councilor from Kanthi Municipality in 1995. He went on to become a councilor three times and also served as the chairman of Kanthi Municipality. He has over 20 years of parliamentary experience, having been a member of the Lok Sabha twice, a member of the assembly three times, and the leader of the opposition in the assembly for five years.

During his tenure in the state government, he held important portfolios such as transport and irrigation. He also served as the chairman of the 'Hooghly River Bridge Commission'. As the head of the 'Haldia Development Authority', he played a crucial role in the development of the industrial city of Haldia. He has also made significant contributions to the cooperative movement. He has been the chairman of the Agriculture Rural Bank, Kanthi Urban Cooperative, and Vidyasagar Central Cooperative Bank.

It is worth noting that Suvendu Adhikari, born on December 15, 1970, in the village of Karkuli in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, has an MA degree from Rabindra Bharati University. He is the son of former Union Minister of State Shishir Adhikari and is currently unmarried. Suvendu Adhikari was one of the key figures in the 2007 Nandigram movement, which played a crucial role in ending the 34-year-old left-wing rule. He was a long-time member of the Trinamool Congress and served as a minister in Mamata Banerjee's government until 2020. In December 2020, he joined the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Notably, the BJP has emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections, winning 207 seats. The BJP has ousted the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power for 15 years. The Trinamool Congress managed to win only 80 seats in the election.