Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 9 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday hailed the BJP government in West Bengal and said that people in the state had voted for change and development.
"For the first time, a BJP government is being formed in West Bengal since Independence. The public is very happy. The public wanted change," Shinde told reporters on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony.
He further said that the "double-engine government" led by the BJP would work towards the overall development of the state.
"The double-engine government of the BJP will work for the development of the state," he added.
Suvendu Adhikari, who was elected as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party in West Bengal, is set to take oath as the state's first BJP Chief Minister today.
BJP leaders on Friday extended their wishes to Suvendu Adhikari after he was named the Leader of the BJP Legislature Party in West Bengal and is poised to take the oath as the next Chief Minister of the State, following the party's victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar expressed confidence that West Bengal would transform into "Sonar Bangla" under Adhikari's leadership.
"I am very happy. Under the leadership of Suvendu da, we will turn Bengal into 'Sonar Bangla'. This achievement is the result of everyone's contribution," Majumdar said.
BJP leader Agnimitra Paul termed Adhikari a "very apt" choice for the post, asserting that he had fought tirelessly both inside and outside the Assembly over the past five years.
"We are extremely happy that Suvendu Adhikari has been unanimously elected by 207 BJP MLAs. He is the most suitable choice because of the way he has fought for the last five years, both inside and outside the Assembly. Who could be a better choice than Suvendu Adhikari? All 207 MLAs have to work round the clock. There is no time to relax. In the next five years, we must deliver what West Bengal did not receive in the last 50 years," she said.
BJP has won 207 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 80 seats after ruling the state for 15 years.
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