Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 9: Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to take oath on Saturday as the first chief minister of West Bengal from the Bharatiya Janata Party, marking a historic political shift in the state since Independence.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata and is expected to witness the presence of several top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, along with Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-governed states.

The announcement naming Adhikari as the BJP legislature party leader was formally made on Friday by Amit Shah after a meeting with the party’s newly elected MLAs following the West Bengal Assembly election results declared on May 4.

During the meeting, Shah said the selection process for the legislature party leader was completed unanimously, with all eight proposals submitted in support of Suvendu Adhikari’s candidature. According to him, no alternative name was suggested despite sufficient opportunity being provided.

Adhikari’s election as legislature party leader officially paved the way for him to become the next Chief Minister and lead the BJP’s maiden government in West Bengal.

In the recently concluded Assembly elections, Adhikari secured victories from both the Nandigram constituency in East Midnapore and the Bhabanipur constituency in Kolkata. In Bhabanipur, he defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by a margin of more than 15,000 votes.

Adhikari had earlier gained national attention during the 2021 Assembly elections when he defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram, earning the reputation of a “giant killer.” His latest electoral success has further strengthened his position within the BJP and established him as the unanimous choice to lead the party’s government in the state.