Suvendu Adhikari Sworn In as West Bengal's First BJP Chief Minister

Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as West Bengal's first BJP chief minister on Saturday at a ceremony held at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata. Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, and senior BJP leaders. The BJP won 207 of 294 Assembly seats, unseating the Trinamool Congress after 15 years in power.

Five BJP legislators, including Dilip Ghosh and Nisith Pramanik, were sworn in as cabinet ministers alongside Adhikari. The event featured cultural motifs of West Bengal, including depictions of Dakshineswar Temple and Goddess Durga, and supporters celebrated with drumming, dancing, and the distribution of 'jhal muri', a popular local snack. PM Modi was seen embracing and touching the feet of Makhanlal Sarkar, 98, one of the party's earliest workers in Bengal and a former aide of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Sarkar was arrested in Kashmir in 1952 during Mookerjee's campaign to assert Indian sovereignty in the region.

The BJP's victory marks a historic shift in West Bengal's political landscape, where it had previously struggled to gain a foothold. The new government is expected to outline its policy agenda in the coming week as it convenes its first Cabinet meeting.