The giant killer who defeated Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee — not once but twice — was sworn in as the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Suvendu Adhikari
took the oath as the Chief Minister at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Saturday after leading the BJP to a historic victory in West Bengal and defeating Mamata Banerjee in her stronghold, Bhabanipur. He was administered the oath by the state governor, RN Ravi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President Nitin Nabin, several Union Ministers, and the Chief Ministers of the NDA-ruled states were present at the ceremony.
The swearing-in ceremony of Adhikari coincided with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Alongside Suvendu, BJP’s newly-elected MLAs — Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtaniya — were also sworn-in as cabinet ministers.
On Friday, Adhikari met the governor to stake a claim to form the government in West Bengal, hours after being named leader of the legislature party in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
West Bengal CM Oath Ceremony LIVE
Who Is Suvendu Adhikari?
Suvendu Adhikari belongs to one of the West Bengal’s most influential political families. His father, Sisir Adhikari, served both in the Lok Sabha and the West Bengal Assembly.
His brother, Dibyendu Adhikari, was a part of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) before switching to the BJP in 2024.
Suvendu Adhikari, who kicked off his political journey with the Congress party in 1995, joined the newly-formed TMC in 1998.
He made his electoral debut in the 2006 West Bengal Assembly elections from Kanthi Dakshin and later emerged as a key figure in the Singur and Nandigram agitations against the Left Front government.
Among his supporters, Adhikari is known for his powerful grassroot connect. In 2020, he jumped ship to the BJP, reshaping the political landscape of Bengal.
The ‘Giant Killer’ Who Defeated Mamata
An ex-loyalist to Mamata Banerjee, Suvendu Adhikari defeated the TMC Supremo twice — first in 2021 from the Nandigram constituency and then in 2026 from her fortress, Bhabanipur.
Before taking oath as the Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari described the occasion as a “moment of profound pride and jubilation” as he welcomed PM Modi to Bengal.
Echoing the party’s sentiments, Adhikari stated the era of “Sonar Bangla” officially began with the stellar victory of the BJP in the state.
“Today, as we witness the Swearing-in-Ceremony of the first-ever BJP Government in West Bengal since Independence, we fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers. Today marks the end of decades of misrule and the beginning of a ‘Double Engine’ era of development, peace, and prosperity. The era of ‘Sonar Bangla’ officially begins. Welcome, Pradhan Mantri Ji”, he wrote.
West Bengal Assembly Election 2026
In the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026, the BJP rose to a landslide victory, bagging 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly and ending the 15-year-old rule of the TMC. The Trinamool, on the other hand, won 80 seats.
