Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal on Saturday, marking the formation of the first BJP-led government in the State after the party recorded a landslide victory in the Assembly elections.
Governor RN Ravi administered 55-year-old Adhikari the oath of office and secrecy at the historic Brigade Parade Grounds, which witnessed a massive crowd as Bengal has undergone a tectonic political shift ending the 15-year of Trinamool Congress rule.
Adhikari, the BJP legislature party leader, inducted five ministers in the State cabinet. The legislators-- Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik-- will serve in the new cabinet. The composition of the new cabinet highlighted the party’s attempt to balance caste and regional representation in the State.
Born in Karkuli village in Purba Medinipur district, Adhikari has been one of the principal architects of the BJP’s recent rise in Bengal. With the legislative experience of over 20 years, his rise in the State’s political landscape was marked by his aggressive style and strong positions on issues such as law and order, illegal immigration and governance against the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government. A former close aide of Banerjee in the TMC, Adhikari joined the BJP in December, 2020 ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections.
