NEW DELHI: In a historic milestone, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (May 9) formed its first government in West Bengal since Independence, with senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as the Chief Minister at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. Adhikari was administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor R N Ravi.
Along with Adhikari, five BJP MLAs, including Agnimitra Paul and Dilip Ghosh, were also sworn in as ministers in the new Bengal Cabinet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister and the key architect of BJP’s Bengal victory, Amit Shah, along with senior Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states attended the oath-taking ceremony of first BJP government in Bengal.
Below is the full list of ministers in the first BJP government in Bengal:
Suvendu Adhikari: Former TMC heavyweight and BJP’s local face in West Bengal, Adhikari was sworn in as Chief Minister of Bengal. He defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur and also won from Nandigram, another seat he contested in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Dilip Ghosh: Originally an RSS man, Dilip Ghosh made his electoral debut in the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections. He successfully contested from Kharagpur Sadar and retained the seat in the 2026 elections as well. He is likely to be made the deputy CM of Bengal.
Agnimitra Paul: A fashion designer-turned-politician, Paul had joined the BJP in 2019. She has served as BJP’s Mahila Morcha President of Bengal and General Secretary. In 2021, she defeated TMC leader Saayoni Ghosh and retained the seat in the 2026 polls. She is also likely to be made the second deputy CM of Bengal.
Ashok Kirtania: A Dalit face of the BJP in Bengal, Kirtania defeated TMC leader Biswajit Das in Bangaon Uttar (SC) in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Nisith Pramanik: A prominent youth face of BJP in North Bengal, Pramanik has served as the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs from July 2021 to June 2024 in the Narendra Modi Cabinet. He has also served as MoS, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Kshudiram Tudu: A tribal leader of the BJP in West Bengal, Tudu defeated TMC leader Tanushree Hansda from Ranibandh in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. - The Statesman/ANN
