West Bengal has entered a new political phase as Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata to oversee the BJP legislature party meeting that will decide the state’s next Chief Minister. Shah reached the city as the BJP’s central observer for the crucial meeting, signalling the importance the party has attached to its first government formation exercise in Bengal.
For the BJP, this is more than an election victory. The party has finally captured a state that resisted its rise for decades.
The BJP won 207 seats in the Assembly election, bringing an abrupt end to the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule. The result pushed Mamata Banerjee into the biggest political crisis of her career and changed Bengal’s political landscape overnight.
The spotlight now rests on Suvendu Adhikari, who has emerged as the strongest contender for the Chief Minister’s post. Adhikari became the BJP’s central face in Bengal after defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in 2021. This election further strengthened his position after the BJP captured Bhabanipur, a constituency long seen as Mamata Banerjee’s political fortress and one that held enormous symbolic importance for the Trinamool Congress.
Soon after landing in Kolkata around 11.10 am, Amit Shah visited the Dakshineswar Kali Temple with senior BJP leaders, including Samik Bhattacharya and Suvendu Adhikari. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who was appointed as another BJP observer for the legislature meeting, also remained part of the political consultations around the government formation process.
The visit to Dakshineswar carried a clear political message. After offering prayers, Shah headed to the Novotel Hotel, where the BJP legislature party meeting began under heavy security.
Mamata Banerjee Refuses To Accept Defeat Gracefully
Despite the scale of the defeat, Mamata Banerjee has continued to challenge the election outcome. She claimed the verdict emerged from a “conspiracy.”
However, the political transition moved forward quickly after Governor R. N. Ravi dissolved the 17th West Bengal Legislative Assembly with effect from May 7.
The BJP will hold its swearing-in ceremony on May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and several Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states are expected to attend the event. Ahead of the ceremony, Kolkata Police imposed major traffic restrictions across key parts of the city and tightened security arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit.
Violence Shadows Bengal’s Transfer Of Power
Political violence has continued to spread across Bengal since the election results came out on May 4. The situation worsened after Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas by unidentified attackers on motorcycles.
The BJP called the murder a planned political killing and accused rival groups of trying to spread fear during the transfer of power. Congress leaders demanded a judicially monitored investigation and described the incident as organised criminal violence.
Police have increased surveillance in Bengal’s border districts because investigators suspect shooters from neighbouring states may have joined the attack. More than 36 hours after the murder, officers had still not made any arrests.
For years, Bengal remained the BJP’s toughest political challenge despite aggressive expansion efforts. That resistance has now collapsed. Inside BJP circles, leaders view this victory as the completion of a long political battle that has reshaped the balance of power in eastern India.
