NEW DELHI: Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday took oath as the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal, marking a historic breakthrough for the saffron party in the state. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Kolkata’s iconic Brigade Parade Ground in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several senior NDA leaders.Adhikari was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party on Friday after a meeting of newly elected MLAs and party leaders. Union home minister Amit Shah formally announced his name for the post. Soon after his election, Adhikari met Governor R N Ravi at Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the government.Thousands of BJP supporters gathered at the venue from early morning to witness the oath-taking ceremony.Prime Minister Modi arrived in Kolkata shortly before 10 am and later travelled to the venue amid loud chants of “Jay Shri Ram”. Accompanied by state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and Adhikari, the Prime Minister waved to supporters from an open vehicle as he entered the ground.Several NDA leaders attended the event, including Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The BJP secured a decisive victory in the 294-member Assembly, winning 207 seats and ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule in the state.Adhikari’s elevation marks a major political shift in Bengal. Once considered one of Mamata Banerjee’s closest aides and key organisational strategists, the 55-year-old leader’s move to the BJP dramatically altered the state’s political landscape over the past few years.West Bengal has now become the second state to get its first BJP chief minister in recent months, after Samrat Choudhary took oath as Bihar chief minister last month.The swearing-in ceremony also coincided with the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, celebrated across Bengal as Rabindra Jayanti or “Pochishe Boishakh”.
