KOLKATA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began its first stint in office in West Bengal on Saturday with Suvendu Adhikari being sworn in as the state's first saffron chief minister along with five cabinet ministers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined a crowd of over one lakh at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata to witness a former Left and then centrist bastion take a sharp turn towards the right.
New Ministers Take Oath
BJP and RSS veteran Dilip Ghosh, designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul, former junior Union minister Nisith Pramanik, another RSS old-timer Khudiram Tudu, and Matua face Ashok Kirtaniya were the other five ministers to take oath. The new cabinet will hold its first meeting on Monday, and a cabinet expansion is likely next week.
Regional and Social Balance
The selection of ministers displayed a careful balance between regions, a nod towards women—a bloc without whose support the BJP would have found it difficult to defeat the Trinamool Congress—and an acknowledgement of the RSS's solid organisational support to the BJP, another key factor in the party's landslide win.
PM Modi's Address
Modi arrived at the Maidan in an open vehicle alongside Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya as chants of "Modi, Modi" rolled across the Brigade. After the oath ceremony, a visibly emotional PM knelt before the crowd and touched his forehead to the ground. "I bow to West Bengal's Jana Shakti! The people's blessings are the truest strength of democracy and the noblest source of public resolve," Modi later posted on X. He posted a second message congratulating the new chief minister. "Congratulations to Shri Suvendu Adhikari Ji on taking oath as West Bengal's chief minister. He has made a mark as a leader who has remained deeply connected to the people and understood their aspirations from close quarters. My best wishes to him for a fruitful tenure ahead," he wrote. Adhikari shared the post and said in his response, "Your blessings and guidance will illuminate my path and inspire me to contribute towards Viksit Bharat by creating a Viksit Bengal."
Symbolic Gestures
The ceremony, timed with Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary, blended symbolism and power projection. Modi removed his shoes before garlanding Tagore's portrait and later touched the feet of 97-year-old Jana Sangh veteran Makhan Lal Sarkar, an aide of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, whose ideological legacy shaped the BJP's rise. The gesture was immensely symbolic of a BJP chief minister reaching the state's highest office more than seven decades after its ideological forerunner—the Bharatiya Jana Sangh—started its journey from Bengal under Mookerjee's leadership.
Dignitaries in Attendance
Present on the 100x60 feet dais to witness the historic event were Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, party national president Nitin Nabin, his predecessor JP Nadda, transport minister Nitin Gadkari, 21 chief ministers of NDA-governed states and their deputies, besides former ministers like Smriti Irani and veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty.
Oath Ceremony Details
The proceedings began at 11:30 PM as Governor Ravi issued Adhikari's "order of appointment" as the new chief minister of Bengal. Adhikari, clad in a saffron kurta and white dhoti, took oath in Bengali. After the oath, he bowed before PM Modi and Shah and greeted the dignitaries. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took off his saffron scarf and wrapped it around Adhikari's shoulders, drawing a rousing cheer from the crowd.
Post-Ceremony Engagements
Following the ceremony, Adhikari went to Jorasanko Thakurbari to pay homage to Rabindranath Tagore on his 166th birth anniversary. Later, he reached the PWD tent at the Maidan, where he discussed the state's law and order with the Director General of Police and Kolkata police commissioner over a 45-minute luncheon. In the evening, Adhikari visited Mookerjee's residence in Bhowanipore, the Bharat Sevashram Sangha headquarters in Ballygunge, as well as the Kalighat temple.
