Rahul Gandhi Criticizes BJP's Appointment of New Chief Secretary in West Bengal
Opposition Leader's Allegations Against BJP
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, expressed his disapproval of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal following the appointment of Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the Chief Secretary. In a Facebook post, the Congress MP accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP, stating that in the BJP-Election Commission 'black market', the bigger the theft, the greater the reward.
Appointment of Manoj Kumar Agarwal
The BJP government appointed Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the Chief Secretary on Monday. According to a notification from the West Bengal government, the Governor has designated Agarwal, who is also the Chief Electoral Officer and holds the position of Additional Chief Secretary for Home and Hill Affairs (Elections), as the Chief Secretary until further notice.
Political Tensions Ahead of Elections
Prior to the state assembly elections, both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was acting at the behest of the BJP. The dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list garnered significant attention. The results of the 2026 assembly elections granted the BJP a decisive mandate, increasing its seats in the 294-member assembly from 77 to 206. The TMC, which had won 212 seats in the previous election, fell to second place with 80 seats, marking the end of its 15-year rule in the state. Congress managed to secure only two seats.
Suvendu Adhikari Takes Oath as Chief Minister
Following the electoral victory, Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal. The oath-taking ceremony took place in Kolkata, officiated by Governor R.N. Ravi, with the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, central ministers, and senior BJP leaders.