Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal today at the Brigade Parade Ground, following his election as the leader of the legislature party. The ceremony was attended by notable figures including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Adhikari, 55, previously served as a close aide to Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In his address, he stated that the people of Bengal had given the BJP a historic mandate and expressed his commitment to fulfilling the party's election promises. His election marks a significant change, as he is the first Chief Minister from rural Bengal in 55 years. The last Chief Minister from this background was Ajoy Mukherjee in 1971. The BJP's recent electoral success saw them win 207 out of 294 seats, while the Trinamool Congress secured 80 seats. Following the election, Governor R N Ravi dissolved the previous assembly, which had been in place since 2021. Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the election process was flawed and has refused to resign, claiming the defeat was due to a conspiracy rather than a public mandate.