Kolkata, May 9 : In a historic political transition, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the nineth Chief Minister of West Bengal ending nearly 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule and marking the first-ever BJP led government in the state since Independence.
Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Adhikari at a grand ceremony held at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief ministers from several states, Union ministers and thousands of party supporters. With Adhikari five other ministers also took oath at the occasion.
The BJP stormed to power in the 2026 Assembly elections with a sweeping mandate, with 207 seats crossing the majority mark out of 293 seats for which elections were held in two phases. Election to Falta constitueny, however, countermanded due to malpractices. The victory was seen as the culmination of years of aggressive organisational expansion by the BJP under Modi and Shah, with Suvendu Adhikari emerging as the party’s principal face in Bengal after his high-profile switch from the Trinamool Congress in 2020. Adhikari, who had led the anti-TMC campaign across the state, projected the election as a fight to restore “democracy, development and law and order” in Bengal.
Addressing the gathering after taking oath, Adhikari termed the moment “a historic dawn for West Bengal” and declared that the “Sonar Bangla era” had begun. “This is not the victory of a party alone, this is the victory of the people of Bengal who wanted change, peace and development,” he said. Stressing on inclusive governance, Adhikari added, “I will work as the Chief Minister for every citizen of Bengal irrespective of caste, religion or political identity. Our government will rebuild Bengal and restore people’s faith in administration.”
Prime Minister Modi, while congratulating the new government, described the BJP’s victory as “historic” and said Bengal had voted for “development, good governance and freedom from political violence.” Referring to the beginning of a “double-engine government” in the state, Modi said the Centre and the Bengal government would work together to transform the state into a major economic and industrial hub. “The people of Bengal have chosen development over fear and hope over violence. This mandate is for progress, employment and prosperity,” Modi said at the ceremony.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the BJP’s rise to power in Bengal as an “ideological and political milestone” for the party. Shah said the mandate reflected the people’s desire for administrative transparency and stronger governance. “For decades BJP workers struggled and sacrificed in Bengal. Today their efforts have been rewarded by the people,” he said, while asserting that the new government would ensure peace, investment and employment opportunities in the state.
The oath-taking ceremony turned into a massive political show of strength for the BJP, with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” echoing across Brigade Parade Ground. The event coincided with Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary according to the Bengali calendar, a symbolism repeatedly highlighted by BJP leaders during the programme.