BJP holds crucial meeting in Kolkata on making West Bengal CM

Top BJP leaders are holding a meeting in Kolkata on Friday to discuss the issue of making the new Chief Minister of West Bengal. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is attending the meeting, which is expected to focus primarily on Suvendu Adhikari as the prospective first Chief Minister from the BJP in the state.

Daily Samakal’s correspondent in Kolkata reported that Amit Shah reached the city for the meeting. State BJP President Shamik Bhattacharya welcomed him at the airport, where Suvendu Adhikari was also present. After flowers were presented, Amit Shah pulled Suvendu Adhikari close and patted him on the back.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that although the BJP is yet to officially announce the name of the Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari is far ahead in the race. He has won two important seats — retaining his Nandigram constituency and defeating Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur.

Once a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP in December 2020. Since then, he has emerged as the party’s strongest campaigner in West Bengal.

A senior party leader stated that Suvendu Adhikari’s consistent fight against the Trinamool Congress, his organisational skills, and his electoral victory against Mamata Banerjee have significantly strengthened his claim for the chief ministerial post.

Party sources noted that his victory in Bhabanipur by a margin of more than 15,000 votes is being seen as a symbolic and strategic turning point in Bengal politics. However, it cannot yet be said that the leadership battle is completely settled.

Discussions are continuing within the BJP regarding other names as well. These include state unit president Shamik Bhattacharya and former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta. A section of the party views Swapan Dasgupta as an intellectual face who could maintain a balance between governance and political matters. 

Meanwhile, Shamik Bhattacharya is being credited with successfully leading the party organisation during the crucial elections. Senior BJP leaders have emphasised that the final decision will be taken by the party’s central leadership.

The first BJP government in West Bengal is scheduled to take oath on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda, and chief ministers of all NDA-ruled states are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.