On Monday, 35 individuals were inducted into the first expansion of Suvendu’s cabinet, aimed at building a ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). Among them, 13 are full Ministers, 3 are Ministers of State with independent charge, and 19 are Ministers of State. Consequently, the total strength of the cabinet now stands at 41.
Graphic: Anandabazar.com
35 People Pledge to Build a ‘ Sonar Bangla’
On May 9, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, West Bengal’s first BJP cabinet was sworn in with a pledge to build a ‘Sonar Bangla‘ (Golden Bengal). Alongside Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, five ministers—Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania, and Khudiram Tudu—took the oath to realize this vision. On Monday, 35 more individuals were inducted during the cabinet’s first expansion. Among them, 13 are full ministers, 3 are Ministers of State with independent charge, and 19 are Ministers of State. Consequently, the total strength of the BJP cabinet now stands at 41.
13 Full Ministers were appointed.
- Tapas Roy (Maniktala) = Tapas Roy rose to prominence in the political arena through the Chhatra Parishad during the late 1980s. Starting his career in the Congress, he later served as an MLA for the Trinamool Congress before eventually joining the BJP. This veteran and experienced leader also previously served as a member of the Trinamool cabinet. He is the only full-fledged cabinet minister from North Kolkata.
- Arjun Singh (Noapara) = One of the party’s well-known non-Bengali faces is Arjun Singh. He has considerable sway over the Hindi-speaking community in Kolkata and the surrounding regions, such as the industrial district of Barrackpore. He joined the BJP after leaving the Trinamool Congress in 2019, and he later became a member of parliament. Although he later rejoined the Trinamool, Arjun made a return to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- Manoj Oraon (Kumargram) = A two-time MLA. A young leader of the indigenous communities of North Bengal.
- Gourishankar Ghosh (Murshidabad) = a two-time MLA and “original BJP member.” former Murshidabad District BJP President.
- Sharadvat Mukherjee (Bidhannagar) = He is a distinguished physician. With the objective of building a ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal), the BJP awarded him an MLA ticket from Bidhannagar, and he emerged victorious from this area—a constituency predominantly inhabited by the upper and upper-middle classes. Although relatively new to the party, he has quickly adapted to the party line.
- Dipak Barman (Falakata) = referred to as a “original BJP” member within the party. currently the party’s vice president and a former state general secretary. an MLA twice. a leader that the Sangh favors.
- Arup Kumar Das (Kanthi South) = He is the only full Cabinet Minister from the home district of Chief Minister Suvendu, Purba Medinipur. On Monday, three more people from the same district were named Ministers of State. Arup is the only exception among them. Arup is the two-time BJP MLA representing Kanthi South—the very constituency where Suvendu resides. His steadfast devotion to the Adhikari family is well known.
- Jagannath Chatterjee (Siuri) = Currently serving as the State Vice-President, he is an RSS *Swayamsevak* (volunteer) who has completed the ‘Third Year’ training course. In 2021, he quit journalism to pursue a career in politics. He ran as the party’s candidate in his hometown of Suri twice in a row; this time, he won, despite losing the first time. He has also held the position of State General Secretary for the party.
- Swapan Dasgupta (Rashbihari) = He was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. The party’s “refined face” is this former journalist, who is well-liked by the upper classes and in business circles. He is well-liked by the Sangh and has a long-standing friendly connection with the central leadership. Among the BJP lawmakers elected from South Kolkata, he is the only full Cabinet Minister, with the exception of Suvendu.
- Kalyan Chakraborty (Khardaha) = He has a long history in social work and is a scientist and researcher in agriculture. Known as the party’s “civil face,” this leader is also a favorite of the Sangh. He represents the harmony between Bengalis and non-Bengalis in the Barrackpore industrial belt, according to many. Since the non-Bengali Arjun holds a full cabinet portfolio, a Bengali figure—clad in traditional dhoti and panjabi—has also been appointed as a full cabinet minister from that very region.
- Shankar Ghosh (Siliguri) = His inclusion serves as proof that the representation of those who joined the BJP from other parties is also considered significant within the cabinet. A two-time MLA, this former CPM youth leader ranks at the forefront in terms of his active engagement—both within the Legislative Assembly and in his own constituency.
- Ajay Poddar (Kulti) = As a representative of the non-Bengali community in West Bardhaman, he has managed to obtain a seat in the cabinet. He has served as an MLA twice.
- Dudhkumar Mondal (Mayureswar) = Among the “original BJP” members of the government, he is the most seasoned member. He went to Ayodhya to take part in *Kar Seva* (volunteer service) in the early days of the Ram Mandir movement. He was attacked by CPM cadres at Bardhaman station on his way back. He has successfully negotiated the political environment in a difficult district like Birbhum, and his relationship with the party has occasionally gone through its own ups and downs.
Lok Bhawan
3 Ministers of State with Independent Charge
1. Malati Rava Roy (Tufanganj) = An ‘original BJP’ member who served as the Cooch Behar District Committee President. A leader hailing from the Rajbanshi community, she is known for her combative image and is a two-time MLA.
2. Rajesh Mahato (Gopiballavpur)= a powerful figure in the Kurmi community. He was a well-known figure in the campaign to grant the Kurmi ethnic group reservation status.
3. Indranil Khan (Behala West)= A young doctor who became a politician. In addition, he is among the most educated members of the party. He is acknowledged as the youth’s representative in the “Suvendu Cabinet” and is currently the State President of the Yuva Morcha.
Profiles of 19 State Ministers
Ashok Dinda (Moyna), Kaushik Chowdhury (Raiganj), Jewel Murmu (Habibpur), Harekrishna Bera (Tamluk), Shantanu Pramanik (Bhagwanpur), Moumita Biswas Mishra (Bardhaman South), Umesh Rai (Howrah North), Purnima Chakraborty (Shyampukur), Dibakar Gharami (Sonamukhi), Nadiyarchand Bauri (Para), Gargi Das Ghosh (Kandi), Amiya Kisku (Nayagram), Kalita Maji (Aushgram), Biraj Biswas (Karandighi), Sumana Sarkar (Balagarh), Anandamay Barman (Matigara-Naxalbari), Vishal Lama (Kalchini), Dipankar Jana (Kakdwip).
Union Home Minister Amit Shah posted on social media, wishing the ministers who took the oath of office on Monday to create a “Sonar Bangla” (Golden Bengal) “my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the ministers who have taken the oath of office in West Bengal.” As members of the ‘Double Engine’ government led by Honourable Prime Minister Shri Modi-ji and Shri Suvendu Adhikari, I have complete faith that you will all work with devotion, commitment, and a spirit of public service, and that you will all be crucial in achieving the goal of creating a ‘Sonar Bangla.'”