BJP’s ‘sonar’ era begins in West Bengal: Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as CM– top developments | India News

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Golden Bengal” era has begun as Subvendu Adhikari was sworn in as West Bengal Chief Minister on Saturday.This comes later BJP It secured an overwhelming mandate by winning 207 out of 293 seats in the assembly elections.Despite being considered politically difficult terrain for the BJP, even amid the party’s expansion across India, the new era represents a long ideological and organizational battle for the saffron party.Here are the top developmentsBengal got its first BJP Chief MinisterThe biggest reason this moment is historic is simple – Bengal has never had a BJP Chief Minister before. Since independence, the state was mainly ruled by Congress, Left Front and Trinamool Congress. The rise of the BJP from a marginal political force to the ruling party marks one of the biggest electoral changes in Bengal’s history.Amit Shah described the win as the culmination of a long political journey, while BJP leaders called it the beginning of a new political chapter for eastern India.Subhendu’s journey from local councilor to chief ministerAdhikari’s rise was unusually dramatic even by Bengali political standards. He won his first election in 1995 at the age of 31 as a Congress councilor in Kontai Municipality before shifting to the Trinamool Congress and steadily building his influence in East Midnapore.He later became an MLA, MP and Minister of State before emerging as one of the faces of the Nandigram movement. His switch to the BJP in 2020 changed Bengal politics forever. He is now set to become Chief Minister within five years of joining the saffron camp. His political journey from Contai’s local streets to the Writers’ Building reflects one of the sharpest political changes the state has seen in recent decades.The defeated man Mamata BanerjeetwiceAfter defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly elections, Adhikari’s political stature increased tremendously. 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 state elections in 2021, Adhikari’s win gave the party a mental breakthrough. He later became the Leader of the Opposition and aggressively led the BJP’s campaign against the Trinamool government. BJP leaders have repeatedly highlighted that he challenged Mamata on her own political turf and survived intense political pressure. The victory established him as the party’s natural chief ministerial choice after the BJP came to power.Unanimous support within the BJPThe BJP termed the election of the leadership completely uncontested. Amit Shah said that eight MLAs proposed his name in the MLA meeting and no second name was proposed despite giving enough time.That unanimous support indicates Adhikari’s dominance within the Bengal BJP unit. Party insiders admit that no other leader currently commands comparable support among BJP MLAs. His administrative experience as a former minister of Bengal and his central role in the election campaign strengthened his claim. After a few decades, the chief minister got MedinipurAdhikari becoming Chief Minister is also geographically significant. He is the second chief minister of Midnapore after Ajay Mukherjee and is one of the few leaders in Bengal to emerge from outside Kolkata’s traditional political elite.In Contai, the celebration started soon after his name was announced. Residents danced in the streets, burst crackers and distributed sweets as CRPF personnel guarded his family home, Shantikunj. For many in Midnapore, his rise carries emotional and regional significance. His father Shisir Adhikari said the district had historically been politically marginalized and hoped the region would finally gain recognition and respect under his leadership.The Nandigram movement shaped his politicsMost of Adhikari’s political identity was forged during the anti-Nandigram land acquisition movement in 2007. The protests against industrial land acquisition became one of Bengal’s most defining political moments and significantly weakened the Left Front government.Adhikari emerged as a grassroots organizer capable of building mass resistance. He led protests against the proposed Haripur nuclear power plant, strengthening his image as a leader associated with local concerns. These movements 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 campaigning alone.BJP’s promise of ‘double engine’ BengalThe BJP framed its victory as the beginning of a “double-engine” administration in which the state and the Center work together politically. Adhikari has repeatedly used the phrase while promising rapid development, infrastructure expansion and administrative reforms.The party argued that Bengal had suffered due to constant conflict 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 illumination of the Writers’ Building and key state offices – was designed to reinforce the image of a complete political change in the state.Massive political exercise in CalcuttaThe swearing-in ceremony itself reflects the scale of the political moment. The Brigade Parade Ground was transformed into a high-security mega venue capable of inviting around 80,000 people despite the threat of heavy rainfall.A huge watertight hangar was built while more than 1,000 workers reclaimed waterlogged parts of the arena. BJP leaders have prepared Netaji Indoor Stadium as a backup venue. The stage was divided into sections for Modi, Shah, the NDA chief minister, the governor and the incoming cabinet. The elaborate arrangements highlighted how the BJP wanted to make the swearing-in not merely administrative, but historic and symbolic.The Writers Building returns as a powerhouseOne of the most symbolic aspects of the transformation is the renewed focus on Writers’ Buildings. The iconic colonial-era structure, long associated with Bengal’s political authority, was lit up in saffron shades before Adhikari’s arrival.Officials have prepared a temporary chief minister’s office there for his symbolic maiden visit after taking oath. The BJP’s decision to visually transform the Writers’ Building sent a strong political message as the structure represented the historic seat of rule in Bengal. For the saffron camp, stepping into the Adhikari Writers Building not only marks the transfer of power but also the arrival of a whole new political order in the state.