Punjab Newsline | Kolkata
Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday scripted history by becoming the first Chief Minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal. He took oath in Bengali in the name of God during a high-profile ceremony attended by top BJP leaders, NDA allies and chief ministers from across the country.
Soon after taking oath, Adhikari walked towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and touched his feet, a moment that drew applause from BJP workers and supporters present at the venue.
R. N. Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to six ministers in the new cabinet. Senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Khudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik were among those inducted into the ministry.
The swearing-in ceremony witnessed the presence of PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers from 20 BJP-ruled and NDA-ruled states, making it one of the biggest political events in the state in recent years.
During the programme, PM Modi paid floral tributes to Rabindranath Tagore on his 165th birth anniversary. The Prime Minister also honoured 98-year-old BJP worker Makhanlal Sarkar by draping a shawl over his shoulders and touching his feet on stage. Sarkar emotionally embraced the Prime Minister, creating a memorable moment during the event.
Among the new ministers, Agnimitra Paul has emerged as a prominent BJP face in Bengal politics. Representing the Asansol South seat, she first won the constituency in 2021 and retained it again in the 2026 Assembly elections. She had also contested the 2022 Asansol Lok Sabha bypoll and the 2024 Medinipur Lok Sabha election, though she lost both contests.
