The senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took his oath on Saturday as the state’s first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Minister to mark a historic political season in the state.
The swearing-in took place in Brigade Parade Grounds, with close security and big celebrations of BJP supporters from all over the state. The presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, chief ministers of NDA-ruled states and senior BJP leaders and dignitaries of all types from across the country attended the event.
Beyond Suvendu Adhikari, though, and after the BJP secured an unprecedented victory in the campaign for the West Bengal Assembly, the party now has the opportunity to depose the long-serving leaders of the TMC of Mamata Banerjee. And it has been seen as one of the greatest political moments for the BJP in eastern India.
The outcome could turn tides in the political future of Bengal and reorder regional power distributions ahead of national elections, political analysts said. Taking the oath, Suvendu Adhikari vowed to “promote all sections of society, to govern transparently, to build the industry, create jobs, and strengthen law and order of the state.”
#WATCH Kolkata | BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal since independence pic.twitter.com/tTMotWpIld
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2026
Adhikari's words upon oath were taken to supporters of the new government, stating that it would be rooted in 'development politics' as well as welfare schemes that would meet the needs of all households in the state without political favouritism.
Outside the venue, the mood was still extremely vibrant as BJP workers waved party flags and chanted slogans, celebrating what they called a state of “historic political transformation”. Meanwhile, all eyes were on whether Mamata Banerjee would attend the ceremony once the BJP had extended a formal offer, constitutionally, for her to do so. But no confirmation was received regarding her participation in the occasion.
Suvendu Adhikari’s political shift has been arguably the most dramatic of all in contemporary Indian politics. Once a dominant leader of the TMC and seen as close to Mamata Banerjee, he switched to the BJP in a move that greatly reinforced the saffron party's power structure in Bengal.
As Chief Minister on the BJP's agenda, his rise symbolises the party’s efforts to entrench a prominent position in a state where its legitimacy had been virtually wiped out decades before. On the eve of the ceremony, security measures were tightened at many key points across Kolkata and some fragile corners of the state to prevent further incidents from occurring in this political climate post-election.
The new BJP government in Bengal will also have immediate challenges in political observers, political stability, administration transition, unemployment, infrastructure and investment. The implementation of the BJP government will help increase political rivalry between the BJP and the TMC and pave the way to the second phase of politics in West Bengal.
With Suvendu Adhikari appointed chief minister, West Bengal, having entered a new political regime capable of influencing state and national politics for years to come, is well-positioned to reassemble from the ashes of the new model of power.
