Suvendu Adhikari's cabinet takes oath in West Bengal swearing-in
What's the story
Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as West Bengal's Chief Minister on Saturday, leading a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Along with him, a cabinet of five members was also sworn in. The oath-taking ceremony took place at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata and was administered by West Bengal Governor RN Ravi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other top dignitaries were present at the event.
Cabinet members
Adhikari's cabinet includes 5 ministers
Adhikari's cabinet includes five ministers: Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik. Ghosh is a veteran BJP leader and former state party president who was instrumental in expanding the party's grassroots network in Bengal. He was also a Member of Parliament from the Medinipur constituency. Paul is a fashion designer-turned-politician and the only woman minister in Adhikari's cabinet.
Women's representation
Who are the ministers?
Paul joined the BJP in 2019 and became the state president of Mahila Morcha a year later, and was also appointed General Secretary of the BJP in Bengal in 2021. She won from the Asansol Dakshin Assembly constituency. Kirtania is a BJP MLA from Bangaon Uttar and comes from a business background. Tudu is a tribal leader representing Ranibandh constituency, while Pramanik is North Bengal's young leader who served as Minister of Home Affairs under the Modi government.
Election results
BJP won landslide victory in Bengal
The BJP won a landslide victory in the recent West Bengal Assembly polls, winning 207 out of 294 seats. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which ruled for 15 years, could only manage to win 80 seats. Notably, Adhikari himself won both Bhabanipur and Nandigram constituencies, defeating Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes. The elections also saw record voter turnout at over 92%.