Adhikari Takes Helm as West Bengal Chief Minister
Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP will become West Bengal's Chief Minister, ending 15 years of TMC rule after the BJP won 207 assembly seats.
Lauren Collins ·
Adhikari Named West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was named the next Chief Minister of West Bengal on Friday, following the BJP's victory in the state assembly elections. Adhikari is scheduled to be sworn in on Saturday. This development marks the end of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s 15-year rule and brings the Hindu nationalist BJP to power in West Bengal for the first time.
The BJP secured 207 out of 294 assembly seats in the vote counting on Monday. Adhikari, a former close aide of outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, transitioned to the BJP in 2020. His political career includes organizing protests in Nandigram in 2007, which contributed to the TMC's rise to power in 2011.
Adhikari assumes leadership amidst economic challenges in West Bengal, including attracting private investment and addressing unemployment. The state also faces significant political polarization and a history of election-related violence, with a recent incident involving the fatal shooting of an aide to Adhikari on Wednesday.