Major Cabinet Expansion in West Bengal, 35 New Ministers Take Oath in BJP Government
Brief By Newsbrief / 12:20 PM on 01 Jun 2026
Kolkata witnessed a major political event on Monday as the first BJP government in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, carried out its much-awaited cabinet expansion. During a grand ceremony held at Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan), Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to 35 new ministers. The event was marked by the singing of Vande Mataram and the National Anthem and was attended by several senior BJP leaders and Union ministers. With this expansion, the total strength of the state cabinet has increased to 41 members. The new cabinet has been structured to ensure regional balance and social representation across the state.
Several prominent leaders were inducted as cabinet ministers, including Tapas Roy, Manoj Oraon, Arjun Singh, Gaurishankar Ghosh, Dipak Barman, Sharadwat Mukherjee, Arup Kumar Das, Swapan Dasgupta, Kalyan Chakraborty, Shankar Ghosh and Dudhkumar Mandal. Malati Rabha Roy, Rajesh Mahato and Indranil Khan were given independent charge portfolios. A large number of leaders, including Ashok Dinda, Kaushik Chowdhury, Jewel Murmu, Harekrishna Bera, Shantanu Pramanik, Umesh Roy and Purnima Chakraborty, took oath as Ministers of State. Political observers view the expansion as a strategic move to strengthen the BJP’s governance and organizational presence across Bengal.
Most ministers attended the ceremony wearing traditional Bengali attire, including dhoti and kurta, reflecting the party’s effort to connect with Bengal’s cultural identity. Suvendu Adhikari had earlier taken oath as Chief Minister on May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground along with a small group of ministers. Following the latest expansion, all ministers proceeded to the state secretariat, Nabanna, where the Chief Minister is expected to chair the first cabinet meeting. Portfolio allocation is likely to be announced soon, with regional considerations from North Bengal, Junglemahal and South Bengal expected to play a key role in the distribution of responsibilities.