Desk Correspondent , Kolkata - Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the new Chief Minister of West Bengal on Saturday, becoming the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to head the state government since Independence. The swearing-in ceremony at Brigade Parade Grounds marked the end of Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s 15-year rule following the BJP's landslide victory in the recent assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and senior BJP leaders attended the high-security event, which drew thousands of supporters waving party flags and chanting slogans.

Adhikari's elevation came after Amit Shah announced him as the leader of the BJP legislature party on Friday, with unanimous support from the party's 207 MLAs. The BJP secured a massive mandate by winning 207 of the 294 seats, reducing the TMC to just 80. Adhikari, who retained his Nandigram seat and defeated TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in her stronghold of Bhabanipur, has emerged as the face of the saffron party's rise in the state. Security was tightened across Kolkata, with CRPF and state police deployed amid celebrations and political tensions. Supporters described the day as "historic," celebrating what they called freedom from TMC rule.

Once a senior TMC leader from East Midnapore, Adhikari resigned from Mamata Banerjee's government and joined the BJP in December 2020. He first challenged Banerjee by defeating her in Nandigram during the 2021 polls. After the latest results, Banerjee refused to resign, alleging poll manipulation, prompting Governor RN Ravi to dissolve the assembly. The transition paves the way for a new BJP-led government focused on governance changes in the politically volatile state. Adhikari's leadership is expected to consolidate BJP's foothold in eastern India.