In a sweeping and symbolic mandate, BJP on Monday stormed to power in West Bengal, winning 206 seats to secure a more than two-thirds majority and bringing an end to the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule.The scale of the victory, marked by chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s defeat in Bhabanipur to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, has firmly positioned the party to stake claim to government formation, with the focus now shifting to who will be chosen as the state’s next chief minister.As BJP breaches the halfway mark with ease in the 294-member Assembly and cements its first-ever path to power in the state, the decisive verdict signals not just a change in leadership but a structural political shift, with the party expected to soon announce its chief ministerial face.BJP sources said the chief minister will be finalised at a meeting between PM Modi, Amit Shah and Nitin Nabin, with the party’s top leadership also expected to factor in inputs from central observers and state leaders. The party may also consider appointing a deputy chief minister after the final decision is made.Samik Bhattacharya said the oath-taking ceremony of the new chief minister will be held on May 9.
Who are the key contenders for Bengal’s next CM
Suvendu Adhikari
Suvendu Adhikari, who retained the Nandigram seat and defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, emerged as a key figure in the BJP’s campaign. Responding to questions on whether he would be the party’s chief ministerial candidate, Adhikari said, “There is no change in me… I am not power-hungry.”
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Adhikari began his political career with the Congress, becoming a councillor in Kanthi municipality in 1995. He joined the Trinamool Congress in 1998 and was elected from Contai South in 2006.He played a role in the 2007 land agitation in Nandigram against the proposed chemical hub by the Left Front government. The movement contributed to the Trinamool Congress coming to power in the state. He entered Parliament in 2009 from Tamluk and retained the seat in 2014.In 2016, he returned to state politics, winning from Nandigram on a Trinamool Congress ticket and joining the state cabinet. He left the party in December 2020 and joined the BJP.After defeating Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly elections, he became the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal.
Dilip Ghosh
Dilip Ghosh won the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency following the BJP’s victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections.“The public of the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency has bestowed its trust upon me…The public has a lot of expectations from the party as they voted overwhelmingly for us,” Ghosh said, as cited by ANI.
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He defeated Trinamool Congress candidate Pradip Sarkar by a margin of 30,506 votes, securing a total of 89,885 votes.Ghosh, a former state BJP president, is associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He was elected from Kharagpur Sadar in the 2016 Assembly elections and led the party’s campaign in the state during the 2019 general elections, when the BJP secured a 40.7 per cent vote share in West Bengal.
Samik Bhattacharya
Samik Bhattacharya, BJP’s state president, is also a key contender. He is seen as having organisational experience, with a focus on booth management, electoral strategy and cadre mobilisation. His approach reflects an emphasis on strengthening the party structure, in line with the BJP’s long-term plans in the state.
Rupa Ganguly
Rupa Ganguly, a former Rajya Sabha MP and actor won the Sonarpur Dakshin Assembly constituency with 1,28,970 votes, defeating TMC candidate Arundhuti Maitra by a margin of 35,782 votes.Ganguly is also being discussed in the context of leadership. Her electoral win and public profile contribute to the party’s outreach, including among urban voters.
Agnimitra Paul
Agnimitra Paul retained the Asansol Dakshin Assembly constituency in West Bengal, defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Tapas Banerjee by 40,839 votes.Paul, who is also the vice president of the BJP’s West Bengal unit, is among the party’s key leaders in the state. Her victory margin indicates her standing in the constituency.As an MLA and party spokesperson, she has been active in public outreach and media engagement, including on issues related to women. Her role is part of the party’s efforts to project a new leadership base in the state.
Swapan Dasgupta
Swapan Dasgupta won the Rashbehari Assembly constituency with 74,123 votes, defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Debasish Kumar by a margin of 20,865 votes.Dasgupta, who holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, is a former Rajya Sabha MP.In the previous Assembly elections, he had contested from Tarakeswar, where he lost to TMC candidate Ramendu Sinharay by 7,484 votes.
