The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party is scheduled to meet in Kolkata on Friday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to formally elect its leader, amid strong indications that Suvendu
Adhikari is the frontrunner to become the party’s first Chief Minister in West Bengal.
The BJP’s decisive victory in the recently concluded assembly elections has marked a historic political shift in the state, ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee. The outcome is being viewed as one of the most significant setbacks in Banerjee’s political career.
While the BJP leadership has not officially declared its chief ministerial candidate, Adhikari’s strong electoral performance has placed him ahead in the race. He retained the high-profile Nandigram seat, where he had earlier defeated Banerjee in 2021, and further consolidated his position by winning Bhabanipur — a constituency long considered a stronghold of the TMC supremo.
The swearing-in ceremony for West Bengal’s first BJP government is scheduled to take place at Brigade Parade Ground on May 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and chief ministers from NDA-ruled states are expected to attend the high-profile event.
Once a close confidant of Mamata Banerjee and a key strategist behind the TMC’s rural expansion, Adhikari switched to the BJP in December 2020. Since then, he has emerged as one of the party’s most aggressive and influential leaders in West Bengal politics.
According to party insiders, his victory margin of over 15,000 votes in Bhabanipur is being seen as both symbolic and strategic, reinforcing his leadership credentials within the party.
However, the leadership contest is not entirely settled. Other prominent names under consideration include state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, who recently won from Rashbehari constituency.
Senior BJP leaders have indicated that the final decision will ultimately be taken by the party’s central leadership.
