Bengal CM Face Out: Bhabanipur MLA Suvendu Adhikari has been elected as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party in West Bengal in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This paves way for Adhikari to become the first BJP Chief Minister of Bengal. Suvendu Adhikari served as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly between 2021 and 2026 when Mamata Banerjee was Chief Minister. Adhikari, a former aide of Banerjee, has defeated her from Nandigram in 2021 and from Bhabanipur in 2026, emerging as a strong challenger.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that eight suggestions were received for the name of the Legislative Party leader, and all of them recommended Suvendu Adhikari’s name. “I announce the name of Suvendu Adhikari elected as Leader of West Bengal BJP Legislative Party,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was earlier appointed as the Central Observer for the election of the legislative party leader in West Bengal. Now, Suvendu Adhikari, along with Amit Shah and other BJP leaders, will go to Lok Bhaban in Kolkata and place the plea for forming the new state cabinet to Governor, R.N. Ravi.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier met BJP leaders and elected MLAs to finalize the name of the first BJP Chief Minister. The swearing-in event will be held at 11 am at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.
Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata this morning when his flight landed at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. He was greeted at the airport by top state BJP leaders of West Bengal, namely the party state president and Rajya Sabha member, Samik Bhattacharya and the former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.
From the airport, the Union Home Minister went straight to the iconic Goddess Kali temple in the North 24 Parganas district, where he offered prayers.
As per HM Shah’s schedule provided by the West Bengal unit of the BJP, he will be staying at the same hotel in New Town. On Saturday morning, from the hotel, he will go straight to the Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata, where the oath ceremony of the CM and the new cabinet will be held.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HM Shah, Chief Ministers from other BJP-ruled states and top central leaders of the party will be present at the oath ceremony.
Extensive security arrangements are already in place at the Brigade Parade Ground for the ceremony on Saturday, which will start from 10 a.m. (With IANS inputs)
