Suvendu Adhikari Sworn In as MLA, Begins New Era for West Bengal

State Minister Dilip Ghosh also took the oath as an MLA of the Kharagpur Sadar assembly constituency.

West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari was welcomed and recieved with a Guard of Honour in the assembly. As a sign of respect, CM Adhikari bowed down to the steps of the Legislative Assembly, before entering the house.

The 2026 Assembly election results marked a decisive mandate for the BJP, registering a significant surge, winning 206 seats in the 294-member Assembly, a major shift in a state where it had earlier secured 77 seats in the previous election. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had won 212 seats in the last Assembly polls, finished a distant second with 80 seats and is leading in one constituency.

Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal. The oath of office was administered by Governor RN Ravi at a grand swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers and senior BJP leaders.

Calling it the beginning of a new chapter for the state, Adhikari said the "Sonar Bangla" era had officially begun after the BJP's sweeping victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Promptly after taking charge, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that the state government has begun the process of transferring land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing the India-Bangladesh border. The newly elected chief minister said that the land would be handed over to the Ministry of Home Affairs within 45 days to address the issue of illegal infiltration.

Addressing media persons after the first cabinet meeting of the newly formed BJP government at Nabanna in Howrah, Adhikari said the decision was among the key resolutions taken during the meeting.

"In our very first Cabinet meeting today, we have taken the decision to transfer the land to the BSF. The process of transferring this land commences today. It will be transferred to the MHA within the next 45 days. Once this is accomplished, the BSF will complete the border fencing, and the ongoing issue of illegal infiltration will be resolved within a short period," Adhikari said.

The Chief Minister said the first cabinet meeting with senior officials focused on governance priorities and development initiatives under the BJP's "double-engine government."

The rise of Suvendu Adhikari to the Chief Minister's office marks the culmination of a political journey spanning more than three decades, during which he evolved from a grassroots Congress worker in coastal Bengal to one of the most influential political leaders in eastern India.

- ANI