Suvendu Adhikari took the oath of office on Saturday, May 8, 2024, as the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal [1].
The appointment marks a historic shift in the state's political landscape, ending the tenure of the Trinamool Congress and establishing the Bharatiya Janata Party's first-ever government in the region [2].
Adhikari was sworn in at the state secretariat in Kolkata during a grand ceremony [3]. The event coincided with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore [4]. Following his election as the BJP legislature party leader on May 8, 2024 [5], Adhikari was positioned to lead the state government.
"I announce Suvendu Adhikari as the leader of the BJP legislature party in West Bengal," Amit Shah said [6].
The transition of power follows a significant electoral cycle. The BJP won 286 seats across West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala [7]. In contrast, the TMC secured 69 seats during the same election cycle [8].
Security was heightened during the transition, with Central Reserve Police Force personnel deployed outside the residence of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee [3]. The ceremony served as the formal commencement of the new administration's mandate to govern the state.
“Suvendu Adhikari took the oath of office on Saturday, May 8, 2024, as the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal.”
The installation of Suvendu Adhikari as chief minister represents the first time the BJP has held executive power in West Bengal. By securing a legislative majority and displacing the TMC, the BJP has dismantled a long-standing political stronghold, signaling a broader shift in regional power dynamics in Eastern India.
