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

Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal on May 9, 2026, marking a historic political transition in the state.

West Bengal Governor R. N. Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Adhikari at a grand ceremony held at the Brigade Parade Ground.

Along with the Chief Minister, five MLAs were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers:

• Dilip Ghosh
• Agnimitra Paul
• Ashok Kirtania
• Nisith Pramanik
• Kshudiram Tudu

Historic Political Change in West Bengal

Suvendu Adhikari became:

• The first Chief Minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, and
• The leader who ended the 15-year rule of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The swearing-in ceremony coincided with “Pochishe Boishak,” commemorating the 165th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

West Bengal Assembly Election 2026

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly were conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29, 2026. Counting of votes and declaration of results for 293 seats took place on May 4, 2026.

West Bengal recorded the highest voter turnout among all states, with 93.71% polling in the 293 constituencies where counting was completed.

Seat Tally

• BJP: 207 seats
• TMC: 80 seats
• Others: Remaining seats

The BJP’s emphatic victory enabled it to comfortably cross the majority mark and form the government for the first time in the state.

Mamata Banerjee Defeated in Bhabanipur

In one of the most closely watched contests of the election, Suvendu Adhikari defeated incumbent Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency by a margin of more than 15,000 votes.