Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is set to become the next Chief Minister of West Bengal, according to reports emerging ahead of the BJP legislature party meeting in Kolkata. The official announcement is expected later in the evening following a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Sources said the BJP leadership has also finalised a two-deputy chief minister formula for the state. Actor-politician Rupa Ganguly is expected to be named one of the deputy chief ministers, while the second deputy CM is likely to be a male MLA from the Darjeeling region.
According to party sources, Suvendu Adhikari is also expected to retain charge of the Home Ministry in the new government. The BJP legislature party meeting is being held in Kolkata, where Shah arrived earlier in the day to oversee the leadership selection process. Adhikari personally received Shah at the airport, further fuelling speculation over his elevation to the top post.
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, where the chief minister and deputy chief ministers are likely to take oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and several senior NDA leaders.
The development follows BJP’s major victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, where the party reportedly secured 207 seats. Adhikari emerged as one of the central faces of the campaign and defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the Bhabanipur constituency. He also retained Nandigram, the seat where he had earlier defeated Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Political observers are closely watching the BJP’s government formation strategy in Bengal, particularly the inclusion of regional and organisational balance in the leadership structure. The expected appointment of a deputy chief minister from north Bengal is being viewed as an effort to strengthen representation from the Darjeeling region.
The BJP has not yet issued a formal statement confirming the appointments. However, party insiders indicated that the final announcement would be made after the legislature party meeting concludes.