Suvendu Adhikari Takes Oath as West Bengal CM Amid Massive Celebrations After BJP’s Historic Victory Over Mamata Banerjee
In a historic political shift that has dramatically altered the landscape of West Bengal politics, Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the state’s first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister, marking the end of the long and dominant rule of the All India Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee.
The grand swearing-in ceremony was held at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata in the presence of Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and several senior BJP leaders from across the country.
The event carried enormous political symbolism, not just because of the BJP’s decisive electoral victory, but because it represented a complete change in power after years of fierce political battles in the state.
For the first time in West Bengal’s history, a chief minister took oath at Brigade Parade Ground instead of the traditional Raj Bhavan ceremony.
Political observers described the venue choice as a deliberate attempt to turn the swearing-in into a mass public event celebrating what BJP supporters called the beginning of a “new political era” in Bengal.
Along with Adhikari, senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Nisith Pramanik, and Kshudiram Tudu also took oath as ministers before Governor RN Ravi.
BJP’s sweeping victory reshapes Bengal politics
The BJP’s victory in the April Assembly elections stunned political analysts and marked one of the biggest electoral upsets in recent Indian political history.
The party secured a massive 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while the TMC was reduced to just 80 seats.
The most symbolic defeat came in Bhabanipur, considered Mamata Banerjee’s political stronghold, where Suvendu Adhikari defeated the TMC supremo by more than 15,000 votes.
The defeat not only ended Banerjee’s tenure as chief minister but also marked the collapse of a political dominance that had shaped Bengal politics for over a decade.
Following the election results, political celebrations erupted across several districts of West Bengal, especially in regions where BJP workers had spent years building organisational strength amid intense political rivalry.
From Kolkata to North Bengal, supporters flooded the streets waving saffron flags, bursting crackers, dancing to drums, and distributing sweets. In many areas, celebrations continued late into the night after the oath-taking ceremony.
In districts such as Asansol, Siliguri, Barrackpore, and parts of tribal-dominated Junglemahal, BJP supporters described the moment as “historic” and “emotional.”
Many party workers said they viewed the victory as a rejection of political violence, corruption allegations, and what they claimed was years of cadre-based intimidation under TMC rule.
A celebration steeped in Bengali culture
The BJP leadership ensured that the swearing-in ceremony reflected Bengal’s cultural identity.
The date — May 9 — was deliberately chosen because it coincided with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
The Brigade Parade Ground was decorated with Bengali cultural motifs, traditional artwork,k and performances celebrating the state’s heritage.
Several stalls serving Bengali sweets, tea, and jhalmuri lined the venue, while folk artists performed tribal dances and traditional Chau dance performances before thousands of attendees.
The atmosphere resembled both a political event and a cultural festival, with BJP leaders repeatedly emphasising what they described as a return to Bengal’s “true cultural and democratic spirit.”
One emotional moment during the ceremony came when Prime Minister Modi walked over and touched the feet of 90-year-old BJP veteran Makhanlal Sarkar, who had once been arrested alongside Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee during protests in Kashmir in 1952.
The gesture drew loud applause from the audience and was widely shared across social media platforms.
Modi and Shah hail the new government
Soon after the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Adhikari and the newly sworn-in ministers in a post on X.
He praised the BJP leaders for their grassroots work and expressed confidence that the new government would accelerate development in the state.
A day earlier, Amit Shah had formally declared Suvendu Adhikari as the leader of the BJP legislative party during a meeting of all 207 newly elected MLAs in Kolkata.
Senior BJP leaders have already indicated that the new government may shift the state’s administrative functioning back to the historic Writers’ Building, the 246-year-old colonial-era secretariat that once served as Bengal’s administrative nerve centre.
Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had shifted the secretariat to Nabanna in Howrah after coming to power.
Political transition sparks mixed reaction.ns
While BJP supporters celebrated the change in government as a turning point, the transition has also triggered anxiety among TMC supporters and uncertainty about the future political climate in the state.
Political analysts believe the new administration now faces the challenge of converting electoral momentum into governance while maintaining social harmony in a politically polarised Bengal.
For now, however, the mood across large sections of the state remains one of celebration and anticipation, as the BJP begins its first-ever term in power in West Bengal under Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership.
