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Barely hours after formally taking charge at Nabanna, West Bengal’s new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari moved swiftly to stamp his authority on the administration by announcing the distribution of portfolios among the first five ministers of the new BJP-led government. The decisions came after the first high-level administrative meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on Monday, signalling the beginning of what the BJP is projecting as a “decisive governance phase” in Bengal.
The newly formed cabinet, which took oath in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Brigade Parade Ground, has been entrusted with departments considered politically and administratively crucial ahead of the government’s first 100 days in office.
According to senior BJP leaders present at the meeting, veteran BJP leader Dilip Ghosh has been assigned the Rural Development and Animal Resources Development departments — portfolios expected to play a major role in reshaping Bengal’s grassroots administrative structure. BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul has been given charge of Women and Child Welfare along with the Urban Development department, two sectors likely to remain politically sensitive in the coming months.
Former Union Minister Nisith Pramanik has been handed the North Bengal Development and Sports & Youth Affairs departments, a move being viewed as strategically significant given BJP’s strong electoral performance in North Bengal. Meanwhile, Ashok Kirtania will oversee the Food and Supplies department, while tribal leader Khudiram Tudu has been entrusted with the Tribal Development ministry.
Sources in Nabanna said the Chief Minister used the closed-door meeting to deliver a strong message on governance priorities. Adhikari reportedly told ministers and MLAs that the administration must move quickly to dismantle what he described as “15 years of systemic corruption” across multiple sectors. During the meeting, he specifically referred to alleged coal smuggling, cattle smuggling, illegal sand mining and irregularities in tribal welfare schemes, directing officials and ministers to initiate immediate corrective measures.
“The government cannot afford administrative paralysis. Ministers have been instructed to hit the ground immediately,” a senior BJP legislator who attended the meeting said.
In another significant bureaucratic reshuffle, the state government officially announced the appointment of senior IAS officer Manoj Agarwal as the new Chief Secretary of West Bengal. Speculation surrounding Agarwal’s elevation had intensified during the Assembly election campaign, particularly because of his role as the state’s Chief Electoral Officer during the high-stakes polls.
A notification issued by Nabanna confirmed that outgoing Chief Secretary Dushmanta Nariala has been transferred to New Delhi as the Principal Resident Commissioner at West Bengal Bhavan.
The appointment of Manoj Agarwal is being seen as one of the earliest indicators of the administrative framework the new BJP government intends to build. Senior bureaucratic sources believe the new dispensation is likely to focus heavily on tighter monitoring of district administrations and faster implementation of centrally backed projects.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is also set to make his first major inter-state political appearance after assuming office. BJP insiders confirmed that he is expected to travel to Assam on Tuesday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is set to take oath for a second consecutive term as Assam Chief Minister.
Himanta Biswa Sarma was present at Brigade Parade Ground during Adhikari’s swearing-in ceremony on Saturday, underlining the BJP’s attempt to project regional unity among leaders of party-ruled eastern and northeastern states. Several BJP Chief Ministers from across the country are also expected to attend the Assam ceremony, which party strategists see as an important political show of strength after the Bengal victory.
