West Bengal CM Oath Taking Ceremony On May 9; Suvendhu Adhikar, Dilip Ghosh Among Top BJP Picks For CM Face

West Bengal Chief Minister's oath taking ceremony is set to take place on Saturday, May 9, reported ANI citing BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya on Tuesday.

BJP secured a dominant win in the West Bengal Assembly elections, capturing 206 of 294 seats and ending Trinamool Congress's 15-year tenure. The mandate, capped by Mamata Banerjee's defeat to Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur, gives BJP a clear path to form the government and shifts attention to the choice of the next chief minister.

The party's first full majority in the state marks a deeper political change, beyond a simple transfer of power. With BJP crossing the halfway mark comfortably, leaders are preparing to decide who will lead the new government, while allies and rivals watch for signals on the direction of the new administration.

Key decisions on next West Bengal chief minister and oath plan

BJP leaders said the name of the next West Bengal chief minister will be finalised at a meeting involving PM Modi, Amit Shah and Nitin Nabin. Inputs from central observers and senior state functionaries will also be considered. The party is examining whether to create a deputy chief minister's post. Samik Bhattacharya stated that the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for May 9.

Within BJP, the leadership choice for West Bengal chief minister is linked to both governance and long-term organisation building. The high command is weighing proven electoral performance, regional balance and administrative experience. Several leaders who delivered strong victories in their constituencies are being discussed as possible faces for the top role.

Profiles of contenders for West Bengal chief minister post

Suvendu Adhikari is widely viewed as one of the strongest contenders for West Bengal chief minister after retaining Nandigram and defeating Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. During the campaign, Adhikari became a central figure for BJP in the state. When asked about becoming chief minister, Adhikari said, "There is no change in me... I am not power-hungry.".

Adhikari's journey to potential West Bengal chief minister began in Congress, where Adhikari first served as a councillor in Kanthi municipality in 1995. Adhikari joined Trinamool Congress in 1998 and won from Contai South in 2006. Adhikari gained prominence during the 2007 Nandigram land agitation against the Left Front government's proposed chemical hub project.

The movement in Nandigram helped Trinamool Congress rise to power in the state and pushed Adhikari to the national stage. Adhikari entered Parliament in 2009 from Tamluk and held the Lok Sabha seat again in 2014. In 2016, Adhikari returned to the Assembly, winning Nandigram on a Trinamool ticket and joining the state cabinet.

Other BJP leaders in race for West Bengal chief minister

Adhikari later broke with Trinamool Congress in December 2020 and joined BJP, reshaping state politics ahead of the 2021 polls. After defeating Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly elections, Adhikari became Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal. That role, along with the current mandate, places Adhikari in serious contention for West Bengal chief minister.

Dilip Ghosh is another senior leader being mentioned in discussions on the next West Bengal chief minister. Ghosh won the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly seat in this election. "The public of the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency has bestowed its trust upon me...The public has a lot of expectations from the party as they voted overwhelmingly for us," Ghosh said, as cited by ANI..