Suvendu Adhikari Takes Oath as Bengal’s First BJP Chief Minister; Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul sworn-in as cabinet Ministers

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister of West Bengal on Saturday, marking a major political shift in the state after the party’s decisive victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Adhikari at a grand ceremony held at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Union ministers, chief ministers from NDA-ruled states and top BJP leaders.

Adhikari took the oath in Bengali before a large gathering of party workers and supporters at the iconic central Kolkata venue, which had been extensively prepared for the BJP’s first government formation ceremony in the state.

The swearing-in marked the beginning of a new chapter in Bengal politics, with the BJP securing 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly and ending the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, was reduced to 80 seats in the election.

Several senior BJP leaders were also inducted into the new cabinet during the ceremony. Former Union minister Nisith Pramanik, regarded as a key BJP face from North Bengal, took oath as a minister in the Adhikari-led government.

BJP MLA Kshudiram Tudu, who represents the Ranibadh constituency, was also sworn in as a minister. Senior party leaders Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul and Ashok Kirtania likewise joined the new cabinet, signalling a mix of organisational experience and regional representation in the BJP’s first Bengal government.

The Brigade Parade Grounds witnessed heavy security arrangements and a large turnout of BJP supporters as leaders from across the country gathered for the ceremony.

The BJP leadership projected the moment as a historic breakthrough for the party in a state long considered politically difficult terrain for the saffron camp.

With the formal assumption of office by Adhikari and his council of ministers, the BJP has now begun its first tenure in power in West Bengal, promising a “Double Engine” model of governance aligned with the Centre.