BJP names Suvendu Adhikari as next chief minister of West Bengal

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announced Suvendu Adhikari as the next chief minister of West Bengal.

Adhikari was elected the leader of the BJP’s legislature party in a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier in the day.

The BJP defeated the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in the Assembly polls on Monday, ending its 15-year rule in the state. The Hindutva party won 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly.

Adhikari defeated Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency by more than 15,000 votes.

He will be the first chief minister from the Hindutva party in the state.

The new BJP government in West Bengal will take oath at 11 am in Kolkata, India Today reported.

VIDEO | Kolkata: “I announce Suvendu Adhikari as the leader of BJP legislature party in West Bengal”, says Union Home Minister Amit Shah (@AmitShah).

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/DSU8xrlcxy— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 8, 2026

After the election results were declared, widespread political violence, and instances of alleged communal intimidation and vandalism have been reported in West Bengal.

Amid the post-poll violence, Adhikari’s aide Chandranath Rath was shot dead in the North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday. Adhikari, who was not with Rath at the time of the attack, alleged that it was a “pre-planned murder”.

He added that the BJP will “clean up all ‘goons’” once the party forms the government.

Written by Leah Thomas....

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