Kolkata: Suvendu Adhikari was on Friday unanimously elected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislative party leader during a meeting of newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), held in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This development paves the way for Adhikari to become the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Announcement by Amit Shah
Making the announcement after a 30-minute closed-door meeting with the MLAs, Shah stated, "Eight proposals were received at the meeting, and all of them contained only one name. Adequate time was given for a second name, but no other name was proposed. Therefore, I announce Suvendu Adhikari as the Chief Minister of Bengal."
Shah added, "I have known Suvendu for a long time. He is a fighter and has experience in administration as well. He, along with our team, will be successful in delivering good governance in Bengal. He has fought, and his fight has brought results today." Senior BJP members noted that this is also a personal validation for Shah, who was instrumental in bringing Adhikari from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP in 2020.
Staking Claim to Form Government
Shortly after the announcement, Adhikari met Governor R.N. Ravi and staked claim to form the next government. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Brigade Parade Grounds at 10 am on Saturday and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Union ministers, and Chief Ministers of National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-governed states. Adhikari will be the second Chief Minister of Bengal from Midnapore, following Ajoy Mukherjee.
Focus on Development and Good Governance
Declaring that the new government under Adhikari will work to fulfill the dream of "Sonar Bangla" (Golden Bengal), Shah said the administration's focus will be on development, infrastructure, and good governance. He vowed that the "politicisation of administration and criminalisation of politics" will end in Bengal. "When criminals become political leaders, there cannot be any development. The new Chief Minister will end the cut-money culture and the rule of musclemen in a few months," he added.
Adhikari's Vision
Adhikari, who credited the "historic mandate" to Prime Minister Modi's leadership, stated that his government will "talk less, work more - that will be our motto as we start work." He added, "In our governance, there will be no 'I', only 'we'. There is no place for what I or someone personally thinks in this government. Here, the party and organisation come first, and we will work accordingly."
Thanking the people of Bhowanipore, he said, "Suvendu da defeated Didi in the last election. In an interview, Didi had said that she went to Suvendu da's home to fight him. This time, Suvendu da has defeated Didi in her own home."
Asking BJP functionaries to live up to "the expectation of the people," he said, "I would like to remind you that the hopes of people were reflected in their mandate. We will try to live up to that. The faith of the people should never be hurt."
Symbols of Protest and Hope
Terming the win as a freedom from fear, he added, "Ratna Debnath (the RG Kar victim's mother) is a symbol of protest against torture of women. Rekha Patra is the symbol of protest against torture in Sandeshkhali. Kalita Maji is a symbol of hope against poverty." All three are now MLAs.
Commitment to Promises and Revisiting Controversies
Adhikari, who asked his party colleagues "not to become complacent," said, "This time, people of Bengal have blessed us with their mandate. But our motto should be to walk on a path of development so that we can raise our vote share from 46% to 60%." He added that the new government will honour all promises made during the election campaign and indicated that several high-profile controversies under the outgoing administration will be revisited. "From Sandeshkhali to RG Kar, there will be fresh commissions for all such cases," he said.
Adhikari also warned of strict action against alleged corruption and misuse of public resources under the previous government. Setting out the ideological framework of the incoming administration, Adhikari said the government will draw inspiration from Swami Vivekananda's philosophy along with Prime Minister Modi's vision of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" (Together with all, Development for all).
