NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Sonar Bangla” era has begun as Suvendu Adhikari is set to be sworn in as chief minister of West Bengal on Saturday.This comes after the BJP received an overwhelming mandate in the assembly polls, winning 207 out of 293 seats.Despite being considered a politically difficult terrain for the BJP, even amid the party’s expansion across India, the new era represents the saffron party’s long ideological and organisational battle.Here are the top developmentBengal gets its first BJP chief ministerThe biggest reason the moment is historic is simple — Bengal has never before had a BJP chief minister. Since Independence, the state was governed mainly by the Congress, the Left Front and the Trinamool Congress. BJP’s rise from a marginal political force to the ruling party marks one of the biggest electoral shifts in Bengal’s history.Amit Shah described the victory as the fulfilment of a long political journey, while BJP leaders projected it as the beginning of a new political chapter for eastern India.Suvendu’s journey from local councillor to CMAdhikari’s rise has been unusually dramatic even by Bengal’s political standards. He won his first election in 1995 as a Congress councillor in Contai municipality at the age of 31 before shifting to Trinamool Congress and steadily building his influence in East Midnapore.He later became an MLA, MP and state minister before emerging as one of the key faces of the Nandigram movement. His switch to the BJP in 2020 changed Bengal politics permanently. Within five years of joining the saffron camp, he is now set to become chief minister. His political journey from Contai’s local streets to Writers’ Buildings reflects one of the sharpest political transformations seen in the state in recent decades.The man who defeated Mamata Banerjee, twiceAdhikari’s political stature grew enormously after the 2021 assembly elections when he defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram. The contest became the defining battle of that election and turned Adhikari into the BJP’s most important face in Bengal.Even though the BJP lost the state election in 2021, Adhikari’s victory gave the party a psychological breakthrough. He later became Leader of Opposition and led the BJP’s campaign aggressively against the Trinamool government. BJP leaders repeatedly highlighted that he had challenged Mamata on her own political turf and survived intense political pressure. That victory established him as the party’s natural chief ministerial choice once the BJP secured power.Unanimous support inside the BJPThe BJP leadership projected Adhikari’s selection as completely uncontested. Amit Shah said eight MLAs proposed his name during the legislature party meeting and no second name was suggested despite enough time being given.That unanimous backing underlined Adhikari’s dominance within the Bengal BJP unit. Party insiders acknowledged that no other leader currently commands comparable support among BJP legislators. His administrative experience as a former Bengal minister and his central role in the election campaign strengthened his claim further. Midnapore gets a chief minister after decadesAdhikari becoming chief minister is also significant geographically. He is only the second chief minister from Midnapore after Ajoy Mukherjee and among the few Bengal leaders to rise from outside Kolkata’s traditional political elite.In Contai, celebrations broke out soon after his name was announced. Residents danced on 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 Sisir Adhikari said the district had historically been sidelined politically and hoped the region would finally receive recognition and respect under his leadership.Nandigram movement shaped his politicsMuch of Adhikari’s political identity was forged during the Nandigram anti-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 organiser capable of mobilising mass resistance. He also led protests against the proposed Haripur nuclear power plant, strengthening his image as a leader connected to local concerns. Those 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 organisational promotion alone.BJP’s promise of a ‘double-engine’ BengalThe BJP has framed its victory as the beginning of a “double-engine” administration where the state and Centre work together politically. Adhikari repeatedly used the phrase while promising faster development, infrastructure expansion and administrative reforms.The party argued Bengal had suffered because of constant confrontation between the state and Centre under the Trinamool Congress government. BJP leaders now claim alignment with the Modi government will accelerate investment and governance. The symbolism surrounding the ceremony — including the saffron illumination of Writers’ Buildings and major state offices — was designed to reinforce the image of a complete political transition in the state.A massive political spectacle in KolkataThe oath ceremony itself reflected the scale of the political moment. Brigade Parade Ground was transformed into a high-security mega venue capable of hosting nearly 80,000 people despite heavy rain threatening preparations.A giant waterproof hangar was erected while more than 1,000 workers restored waterlogged sections of the Maidan. BJP leaders kept Netaji Indoor Stadium ready as a backup venue. The dais was divided into sections for Modi, Shah, NDA chief ministers, the governor and the incoming cabinet. The elaborate arrangements highlighted how the BJP wanted the swearing-in to appear not merely administrative, but historic and symbolic.The return of Writers’ Buildings as a power centreOne of the most symbolic aspects of the transition is the renewed focus on Writers’ Buildings. The iconic colonial-era structure, long associated with Bengal’s political authority, was illuminated in saffron shades ahead of Adhikari’s arrival.Officials prepared a temporary chief minister’s office there for his symbolic first visit after taking oath. The BJP’s decision to visually transform Writers’ Buildings carried strong political messaging because the structure represents the historic seat of Bengal’s governance. For the saffron camp, Adhikari stepping into Writers’ Buildings marks not only a transfer of power, but also the arrival of a completely new political order in the state.
