Kolkata:Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (May 8) announcedSuvendu Adhikari'sname as the next West Bengal chief minister and the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) CM of the state. Adhikari was chosen as the next Bengal CM unanimously. As per sources, his name was proposed by party leader Dilip Ghosh following which Bengal's legislative party observer Amit Shah, in the presence of newly elected BJP MLAs and senior party leaders, confirmed Suvendu's name.
The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government will be held at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on May 9 (Saturday), which also marks the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
Suvendu - A former Protege OfMamata Banerjee:
Adhikari, once a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, earned the distinction of having dealt two resounding electoral blows to the TMC supremo in five years. Adhikari first defeated Banerjee in the 2021 polls; he defeated the TMC supremo in his home turf, Nandigram, and second in Banerjee's so-called "impregnable" bastion of Bhabanipur in the recently concluded polls.
Pivotal Role In Orchestrating BJP's Victory In West Bengal:
Adhikari played a decisive role in orchestrating the BJP’s breakthrough victory inWest Bengal, emerging as one of the party’s most influential strategists and campaign faces during the polls. Due to his grassroots connection and understanding of Bengal’s political landscape, Adhikari spearheaded aggressive campaigning across key constituencies. He also consolidated anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling dispensation. His ability to mobilise cadres, shape regional narratives, and strengthen the BJP’s outreach among rural and urban voters.
From leading protests against the alleged post-poll violence after the 2021 Assembly elections to heading marches towards Nabanna and galvanising party workers on issues such as corruption, unemployment, and deteriorating law and order, Suvendu Adhikari consistently remained at the forefront of the BJP’s political campaigns in West Bengal.
During the 2023 panchayat elections, he led sustained protests over alleged electoral violence and intimidation,
Suvendu Adhikari's Rise Within TMC And Fallout:
In 2007, Adhikari spearheaded the anti-land-acquisition movement in Nandigram. He led the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee. This movement catapulted Mamata Banerjee to the centre-stage of Bengali politics. After Adhikari's success in Nandigram, Banerjee made him the party's observer (in-charge) of the Jangal Mahal i.e. Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, and Bankura districts.
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