Team Suvendu Adhikari: In first Bengal Cabinet, BJP mixes old, new faces; balances regions, groups
Fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul is a key woman face in the new BJP Cabinet which also gives representation to Matua and Rajbanshi communities
CM Suvendu Adhikari will lead the first BJP government in Bengal. With Suvendu Adhikari taking charge as the Chief Minister of the first BJP government in West Bengal, his newly-formed Cabinet reflected a mix of old and new faces, with representation for women as well as the Rajbanshi, Matua and tribal communities.
Apart from Adhikari, five ministers took oath of office in Kolkata’s historic Brigade Parade ground on Saturday, including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Nisith Pramanik, Khudiram Tudu and Ashok Kirtaniya. Sources said Ghosh and Paul are likely to be named as Adhikari’s deputies.
The swearing-in ceremony coincided with Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary.
In his first comments after being sworn in as the CM, Adhikari, who visited Jorasanko Thakurbari – the birthplace of Tagore – said: “This is an auspicious beginning on an auspicious day.”
The swearing-in event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and J P Nadda, BJP chief Nitin Nabin, and the CMs of several states ruled by the BJP-led NDA.
Dilip Ghosh
BJP veteran Dilip Ghosh, MLA from Kharagpur Sadar, began his political journey as an RSS pracharak and later served as Bengal BJP president twice. He won the Medinipur Lok Sabha seat in 2019 and also served as the party’s national vice-president. Seen as a key organisational figure behind the BJP’s rise in Bengal, Ghosh has also often courted controversy over his remarks on various issues.
Agnimitra Paul
A fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul, the BJP MLA from Asansol Dakshin, has previously served as the president of the Bengal party unit’s Mahila Morcha. Paul is a key woman face in the Cabinet and is expected to focus on various issues concerning women and their progress and empowerment.
“We will have to work round-the-clock as we have a lot of work to do. Whatever we promised, we will have to fulfill it,” Paul said after being sworn in as a minister. She added that there was no one better than Adhikari to helm the state.
Nisith Pramanik
Hailing from the Rajbanshi community, he is the BJP MLA from Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar. He won the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat in 2019 and later served as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and Youth Affairs and Sports between 2021 and 2024.
A key figure in North Bengal politics with a background as an assistant teacher, Pramanik’s induction ensures representation for both the Rajbanshi community, listed in the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, as well as the North Bengal region.
North Bengal has continued to remain a BJP stronghold, with the party winning 40 of the region’s 54 seats.
Khudiram Tudu
Khudiram Tudu is the first-time BJP MLA from Ranibandh in Bankura, who belongs to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community.
In 2021, the BJP had fared poorly in the state’s tribal region in Jangalmahal, with the TMC winning 24 of the 49 seats. This time, however, the BJP performed strongly in the tribal belts in districts like Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur, winning 38 of the 40 seats there.
Ashok Kirtanya
Re-elected from Bongaon Uttar, Ashok Kirtanya is a prominent BJP leader from the Matua community listed in the SC category. Kirtanya’s inclusion reflects the party’s continued outreach to the community, a large section of which migrated to India from Bangladesh.
The implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act had particularly benefited the community, which remains a key support base for the BJP in Bengal.
Kirtanya said the Bengal government will work under Modi’s guidance. “For my Matua brothers and sisters, I want to tell them that under Modi ji’s leadership, the process of granting citizenship is ongoing and will continue,” he added.
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