Suvendu Adhikari, who took oath as the BJP’s first Chief Minister of West Bengal on Saturday, inducted five ministers into his cabinet during the swearing-in ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several senior leaders, including NDA chief ministers.
The newly-elected MLAs inducted into the BJP's Bengal Cabinet are Agnimitra Paul, Dilip Ghosh, Nisith Pramanik, Kshudiram Tudu and Ashok Kirtania. The selection reflects a careful consideration by the BJP towards the tribal, scheduled castes and ground-level metrics.
A look at the newly inducted BJP ministers in Bengal:
Dilip Ghosh
Dilip Ghosh is a senior BJP leader and former president of the party’s West Bengal unit. He began his political journey as a full-time RSS pracharak and played a key role in strengthening the BJP’s grassroots presence in Bengal after 2014.
Ghosh earlier served as a Member of Parliament from the Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency and is regarded as one of the architects of the BJP’s rise in the state.
Agnimitra Paul
Agnimitra Paul, the only woman minister in the new Bengal cabinet, is a fashion designer turned politician.
She joined the BJP in 2019 and soon rose within the party ranks. In 2020, she was appointed president of the BJP Mahila Morcha in West Bengal, succeeding Locket Chatterjee. A year later, she became the party’s state general secretary.
Paul won the Asansol Dakshin Assembly seat in the 2021 elections by defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Saayoni Ghosh.
She later contested the 2022 Lok Sabha by-election from Asansol but lost to actor politician Shatrughan Sinha. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, she contested from Medinipur but was defeated by actor politician June Malia.
Earlier this year, Agnimitra Paul was appointed vice president of the BJP’s Bengal unit. In the recently concluded Assembly elections, she retained the Asansol Dakshin seat.
Nisith Pramanik
Nisith Pramanik is regarded as one of the BJP’s prominent young leaders from North Bengal. Before joining the BJP in 2019, he was associated with the Trinamool Congress.
In July 2021, Pramanik was inducted into the Narendra Modi government as Minister of State for Home Affairs and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, becoming one of the youngest Union ministers at the age of 35.
He is considered an influential face among the Rajbanshi community and holds strong organisational and youth support across North Bengal.
Ashok Kirtania
Ashok Kirtania is a BJP MLA from the Bangaon Uttar constituency in North 24 Parganas, a region known for its significant Matua voter base.
He comes from a business background and has been actively involved in local organisational politics before rising within the BJP ranks.
Kshudiram Tudu
Kshudiram Tudu is a tribal leader from Bankura district and represents the Ranibandh Assembly constituency in the Jungle Mahal region, which has a sizeable tribal population.
The BJP has projected leaders like Tudu as part of its strategy to strengthen outreach among tribal communities in West Bengal.
|
Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as BJP's first-ever West Bengal Chief Minister |
