By admin 
Kolkata: Suvendu Adhikari took oath as Chief Minister of West Bengal today, leading the BJP’s first-ever government in the state since Independence. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Governor R. N. Ravi administered the oath to Adhikari at 11.30 am, as per reports. The event marks the end of 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule under Mamata Banerjee.
The BJP scripted a historic win in the West Bengal Assembly elections, securing 207 of the 294 seats. The elections were held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with votes counted on May 4. The Governor dissolved the Assembly on Thursday, leading to Mamata Banerjee’s ouster.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and chief ministers of NDA-ruled states attended the ceremony. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, and UP CM Yogi Adityanath were among those present. Large crowds gathered at the venue hours before the event, with 20 jhalmuri stalls set up for supporters.
Ahead of the oath, Adhikari called it a “moment of profound pride and jubilation” to welcome PM Modi to the “City of Joy”. He said the swearing-in fulfilled “the dreams of our founding fathers” and marked “the end of decades of misrule”. “Today marks the beginning of a ‘Double Engine’ era of development, peace, and prosperity. The era of ‘Sonar Bangla’ officially begins,” he posted on X.
Adhikari, a former close aide of Mamata Banerjee, joined the BJP in 2020. He was elected leader of the BJP legislature party and has promised “collective leadership” focused on corruption-free governance and public service.
A group of BJP MLAs also took oath as ministers.
The ceremony coincided with the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
