West Bengal Government Expands Cabinet with 35 New BJP Ministers

In a notable cabinet expansion, West Bengal's Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has inducted 35 BJP legislators into the state cabinet. This move increases the council of ministers to 41 members, just shy of the maximum allowed. The oath-taking ceremony, led by Governor RN Ravi, marks a significant moment for the BJP in West Bengal, following their electoral victory that ended the Trinamool Congress' long-standing rule. The specific portfolios for the new ministers are yet to be announced, but this expansion reflects ongoing discussions within the party's leadership. Read on to learn more about the implications of this political shift.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 1, 2026, 13:43 IST

Cabinet Expansion in West Bengal

Oath taking ceremony under West Bengal cabinet expansion with 35 BJP MLAs on Monday (Photo: IANS)

Kolkata, June 1: In a significant move, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's administration in West Bengal welcomed 35 BJP legislators into the cabinet on Monday.

The oath of office was administered by Governor RN Ravi during a ceremony at Lok Bhavan.

Among those sworn in as cabinet ministers were BJP members Swapan Dasgupta, Dudh Kumar Mondal, Deepak Burman, Manoj Oraon, Gouri Shankar Ghosh, Arjun Singh, Tapas Roy, Saradwat Mukherjee, Jagannath Chattopadhyay, and Shankar Ghosh, marking a historic moment for the state's first BJP-led NDA government.

Additionally, MLAs Rajesh Mahata, Indranil Khan, and Malati Rava Roy took their oaths as Ministers of State (Independent Charge).

Other newly appointed Ministers of State include Santanu Pramanik, Purnima Chakraborty, Umesh Rai, Joyel Murmu, Ashok Dinda, Anandamoy Burman, Kaushik Chowdhury, Gargi Das Ghosh, Bhaskar Bhattacharya, Dibakar Gharami, and Sumana Sarkar.

With this induction, the council of ministers now comprises 41 members, just three short of the maximum allowed for a government in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly.

At the time of this report, the specific portfolios for the newly inducted ministers had yet to be disclosed.

This cabinet expansion follows Chief Minister Adhikari's swearing-in on May 9, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other prominent BJP leaders.

On that day, several other BJP legislators, including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania, and Kshudiram Tudu, also took their oaths.

The expansion was expected after discussions between Adhikari and state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya with the party's central leadership in New Delhi regarding the inclusion of more members in the council of ministers.

The May 9 swearing-in ceremony took place at Brigade Parade Grounds, following the BJP's victory in the Assembly elections, where they secured 208 seats, ending the Trinamool Congress' 15-year governance and marking a significant electoral achievement in eastern India.

With inputs from agencies