3 weeks ago
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has weighed determination and assemblage considerations portion allocating ministerial berths successful its archetypal Cabinet successful West Bengal.
Along with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, 5 different MLAs were administered the oath of bureau and secrecy by West Bengal Governor R.N. Ravi connected Saturday (May 9, 2026). The caller Ministers — Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu, and Nisith Pramanik — correspond antithetic regions and antithetic caste combinations aimed astatine societal and geographic balance.
Mr. Adhikari is simply a Brahmin, Mr. Ghosh hails from the OBC community, Ms. Paul is simply a Kayastha, Mr. Kirtania is simply a salient Matua face, and Mr. Tudu represents the tribal loop of Junglemahal. Mr. Pramanik is seen arsenic an influential Rajbanshi person from northbound Bengal.
Mr. Ghosh, who was elected from Kharagpur Sadar, is simply a erstwhile West Bengal BJP president and 1 of the astir vocal enactment leaders successful the State. Under his leadership, the BJP had won 18 retired of 42 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal.
Sole pistillate Minister
A manner decorator turned politician, Ms. Paul is simply a salient pistillate look of the BJP and had go the party’s dependable some wrong and extracurricular the State Assembky from 2021 to 2016. She has been re-elected from the Asansol Dakshin Assembly seat.
Mr. Kirtania, who has been elected from Bongaon Uttar, is simply a typical of the Matuas, a assemblage of Hindu namasudras which has overwhelmingly supported the BJP. All these Ministers correspond South Bengal.
As the tribal look successful the State Cabinet, Mr. Tudu took his oath successful the Santali language. He was elected from Ranibandh successful the Bankura district.
Mr. Pramanik, who was the Cooch Behar MP from 2019 to 2024, won the Assembly predetermination from Mathabhanga and is the Cabinet’s lone look from North Bengal.
Scope for expansion
Article (164(1A) of the Constitution mandates that the full fig of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, cannot transcend 15% of the full fig of members successful the Legislative Assembly
As determination are 294 seats successful the West Bengal Assembly, the highest fig of Ministers that tin beryllium appointed is 44. There is simply a batch of scope of enlargement of the Council of Ministers, but a determination volition beryllium taken aft the swearing-in of each the recently elected MLAs.
While the BJP legislature enactment has appointed its Chief Minister and 5 different Ministers, the Trinamool Congress legislature enactment is yet to denote the Leader of Opposition. Ballygunge MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay is being considered a beforehand runner for the post.
The BJP won 207 seats successful the 294-member House ending the 15-year regularisation of the Trinamool Congress and reducing it conscionable 80 seats.
