West Bengal Cabinet Bolstered with 35 New Ministers
The Council of Ministers in West Bengal has seen a significant expansion with 35 MLAs taking the oath as ministers on Monday, June 1, 2026. The oath of office was administered by the state's Governor at a ceremony held in Kolkata, increasing the total strength of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's government to 41 members. This expansion follows the recent assumption of office by Mr. Adhikari as the state's first BJP-led Chief Minister.
The newly inducted members comprise a mix of Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State with Independent Charge, and Ministers of State. Thirteen MLAs were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers, signifying their key roles in governance. Additionally, three members took the oath as Ministers of State (Independent Charge), granting them significant autonomy over their portfolios. The remaining nineteen MLAs were inducted as Ministers of State, completing the broad-based expansion.
The oath-taking ceremony, held at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata, was attended by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, existing cabinet members, and senior state administration officials. The event underscores the consolidation of the new government's administrative structure following the BJP's decisive victory in the recent assembly elections.
Key Inductions and Cabinet Structure
Among the prominent MLAs sworn in as Cabinet Ministers are Swapan Dasgupta, Shankar Ghosh, Arjun Singh, Tapas Roy, Saradwat Mukherjee, and Jagannath Chattopadhyay. These appointments bring a diverse range of experience and representation to the state cabinet.
Further strengthening the council, Dudh Kumar Mondal, Deepak Burman, Manoj Oraon, and Gouri Shankar Ghosh were also inducted as Cabinet Ministers. Their inclusion is expected to contribute to the government's agenda across various departments.
The roles of Minister of State (Independent Charge) were taken up by BJP legislators Rajesh Mahata, Indranil Khan, and Malati Rava Roy. This category of ministers typically handles specific departments with significant operational independence.
The induction of Ministers of State included a substantial number of new faces, such as Joyel Murmu, Ashok Dinda, Anandamoy Burman, Kaushik Chowdhury, Gargi Das Ghosh, Bhaskar Bhattacharya, Dibakar Gharami, Sumana Sarkar, Santanu Pramanik, Purnima Chakraborty, and Umesh Rai. Their roles will be crucial in supporting the cabinet ministers and implementing government policies at the ground level.
With the addition of these 35 ministers, the total strength of the Council of Ministers has reached 41. This figure is three short of the maximum permissible strength for a government in the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly, adhering to constitutional guidelines.
Context of the New Government
This cabinet expansion took place approximately three weeks after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari took the oath of office on May 9, 2026. That initial swearing-in ceremony was a landmark event, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders of the BJP and NDA. Dignitaries from various states also graced the occasion, highlighting the national significance of the BJP's electoral achievement in West Bengal.
On May 9, the initial ministerial team included prominent figures such as Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania, and Kshudiram Tudu, alongside Chief Minister Adhikari.
The expansion had been anticipated, following strategic meetings between Chief Minister Adhikari and the state BJP chief, Samik Bhattacharya, with the party's central leadership in New Delhi. These discussions focused on finalizing the composition of the Council of Ministers and ensuring balanced representation.
The BJP's ascent to power in West Bengal marks a significant political shift, ending a 15-year tenure of the Trinamool Congress. The party secured a commanding 208 seats in the 294-member assembly in the recently concluded state elections. The May 9 swearing-in ceremony was held at the historic Brigade Parade Grounds, symbolizing the party's breakthrough in eastern India.
