NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Sonar Bangla’ era has begun as Suvendu Adhikari will take oath as West Bengal chief minister on Saturday.This comes after the BJP received an overwhelming mandate in the assembly polls, winning 207 of 293 seats.Despite being considered a politically difficult terrain for the BJP, even amid the party’s expansion across India, the new era represents the saffron party’s long ideological and organizational battle.
Here are the main developments.Bengal has its first BJP chief ministerThe main reason why this moment is historic is simple: Bengal has never had a BJP chief minister before. Since Independence, the state was mainly ruled by the Congress, the Left Front and the Trinamool Congress. The rise of the BJP from a fringe political force to the ruling party marks one of the biggest electoral shifts in the history of Bengal.Amit Shah described the victory as the fulfillment of a long political journey, while BJP leaders projected it as the beginning of a new political chapter for eastern India.Suvendu’s journey from councilor to CMAdhikari’s rise has been unusually dramatic even by Bengali political standards. He won his first election in 1995 as a Congress councilor in Contai municipality at the age of 31 before switching to the Trinamool Congress and steadily developing his influence in East Midnapore.He later became an MP, MLA and minister of state before emerging as one of the key faces of the Nandigram movement. His move to the BJP in 2020 changed Bengali politics permanently. Five years after joining the saffron camp, he will now become prime minister. His political journey from the local streets of Contai to the Writers’ Buildings reflects one of the most marked political transformations seen in the state in recent decades.The man who won Mamata BanerjeetwiceAdhikari’s political stature grew immensely after the 2021 assembly elections, when he defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram. The contest became the defining battle of that election and made Adhikari the most important face of the BJP in Bengal.Although the BJP lost the 2021 state elections, Adhikari’s victory gave the party a psychological breakthrough. He later became an opposition leader and aggressively led the BJP’s campaign against the Trinamool government. BJP leaders repeatedly highlighted that he had challenged Mamata on her own political turf and survived intense political pressure. That victory made him the natural choice for the party’s chief minister once the BJP secured power.Unanimous support within the BJPThe BJP leadership projected that Adhikari’s election was completely uncontested. Amit Shah said that eight MLAs proposed his name during the legislative party meeting and no middle name was suggested even though they were given enough time.That unanimous support underlined Adhikari’s dominance within the Bengal BJP unit. Party members acknowledged that no other leader currently commands comparable support among BJP legislators. His administrative experience as a former Bengal minister and his central role in the election campaign further strengthened his claim.Midnapore has a prime minister after decadesAdhikari becoming prime minister is also geographically important. He is only the second chief minister of Midnapore after Ajoy Mukherjee and one of the few Bengali leaders to emerge outside Calcutta’s traditional political elite.In Contai, celebrations began shortly after his name was announced. Residents danced on the streets, broke crackers and distributed sweets as CRPF personnel guarded their family home, Shantikunj. For many in Midnapore, his rise has emotional and regional significance. His father, Sisir Adhikari, said the district had historically been politically marginalized and he hoped the region would finally receive recognition and respect under his leadership.The Nandigram movement shaped his politics.Much of Adhikari’s political identity was forged during the Nandigram movement against land acquisition in 2007. The protests against industrial land acquisition became one of the most decisive political moments in Bengal and significantly weakened the Left Front government.Adhikari emerged as a grassroots organizer capable of mobilizing mass resistance. He also led protests against the proposed Haripur nuclear power plant, strengthening his image as a leader connected to local concerns. Those moves helped him build a loyal support base across East Midnapore long before he joined the BJP. Even today, BJP leaders present him as a mass leader shaped by political struggle rather than organizational promotion alone.BJP’s promise of a ‘twin-engine’ BengalThe BJP has framed its victory as the beginning of a “dual engine” administration in which the state and the Center work together politically. Adhikari repeatedly used the phrase while promising faster development, infrastructure expansion and administrative reforms.The party argued that Bengal had suffered due to constant confrontation between the state and the Center under the Trinamool Congress government. BJP leaders now claim that alignment with the Modi government will accelerate investment and governance. The symbolism surrounding the ceremony, including the saffron lighting of the Writers’ Buildings and major state offices, was designed to reinforce the image of a complete political transition in the state.A massive political spectacle in CalcuttaThe swearing-in ceremony itself reflected the magnitude of the political moment. Brigade Parade Ground was transformed into a high-security mega-venue capable of housing almost 80,000 people despite heavy rain threatening preparations.
Survey
What are your expectations for Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership?
A giant waterproof hangar was erected as more than 1,000 workers restored flooded sections of the Maidan. BJP leaders kept the Netaji Indoor Stadium ready as a backup venue. The dais was divided into sections for Modi, Shah, NDA chief ministers, the governor and the incoming cabinet. The elaborate arrangements highlighted how the BJP wanted the swearing-in to appear not merely administrative, but historical and symbolic.The return of the Writers’ Buildings as a center of powerOne of the most symbolic aspects of the transition is the renewed focus on the Writers’ Buildings. The iconic colonial-era structure, long associated with Bengal’s political authority, was illuminated in saffron hues before Adhikari’s arrival.Officials there prepared a temporary office of the Prime Minister for his first symbolic visit after taking the oath. The BJP’s decision to visually transform the Writers’ Buildings conveyed a strong political message because the structure represents the historic headquarters of the Bengal government. For the saffron camp, Adhikari’s entry into the Writers’ Buildings marks not only a transfer of power but also the arrival of an entirely new political order in the state.
