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Published : 09 May 2026, 12:53 PM
Suvendu Adhikari has been sworn in as chief minister of West Bengal, marking a decisive political shift in a state long defined by ideological churn, NDTV reports.
He took oath on Saturday, marking a political journey carrying a sense of symmetry and rupture in equal measure, the Indian news outlet said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party secured its first-ever victory in the state assembly election, ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule.
Once a close aide to Mamata Banerjee during her rise as chief minister, Adhikari now occupies the very position she held for over a decade.
From working within the Trinamool Congress machinery to leading the BJP charge, his trajectory has been both abrupt and consequential.
According to NDTV, his transition from Mamata’s trusted associate to her principal challenger has come to define one of the most dramatic realignments in recent Bengal politics.
The report noted that “no other leader in West Bengal has a more dramatic, almost stardom-like ascension than Adhikari”, describing his political arc as one that spans roles as aide, organiser, and electoral force in key constituencies such as Nandigram and Bhabanipur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the oath-taking ceremony.
Adhikari’s cabinet includes several prominent BJP figures, including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nishith Pramanik, who were also sworn in on Friday, the report added.
Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds.
The event came days after the BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member assembly.
The ceremony coincided with the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, adding a symbolic layer to a day already marked by political transformation in Bengal.
