Women voters key to our win, says new WB Minister Agnimitra Paul

New West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul credits women voters for BJP's victory. She thanked the party leadership, including new CM Suvendu Adhikari, while criticizing former CM Mamata Banerjee's treatment of the opposition.

West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul on Saturday said that women voters played a significant role in the party's electoral victory and thanked the party leadership, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, for entrusting her with responsibilities in the new government.

Speaking on the formation of the government, Paul said she received a late-night call from Suvendu Adhikari inviting her to attend the swearing-in ceremony, where she was instructed to take the oath in Bengali. "In this election, a lot of women voted for us. I want to thank CM Suvendu Adhikari, PM Modi, Amit Shah and others for trusting me with such a huge responsibility. I got a call from Suvendu Adhikari at 10 pm yesterday, inviting me to the swearing-in ceremony. He asked me to take an oath in Bengali. I was nervous since it was my first time, and all the dignitaries were to be present...I have not been able to sink in the fact yet that we have won and formed the government. On Monday, we will go to Nabanna, where earlier we used to get arrested for even going near...for the time being, we will work from Nabanna. Once the renovation in the Writers' Buildings is over, we will shift," Paul told ANI.

Paul criticises former CM Mamata Banerjee

Referring to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Paul alleged that she had issued threats inside the Assembly and criticised her approach towards opposition leaders. While acknowledging Banerjee's long political career, she said the treatment of opposition members was not appropriate for her position. "Mamata Banerjee had threatened us inside the assembly...she is very senior to us, her fight inspires us, but the way she has treated the opposition did not suit her chair...whatever responsibility I'll be bestowed with, I will try to fulfil them as much as possible. The condition Mamata Banerjee has left Bengal in, we will have to do a lot to revive it...assembly is the temple of the opposition, we will not treat TMC as they had treated us...as a designer I used to beautify women, now I will beautify Bengal...," she said.

Suvendu Adhikari sworn in as 9th West Bengal CM

This came after Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal, marking the end of the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in the state. Five BJP leaders, Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Kshudiram Tudu and Nisith Pramanik, also took oath as ministers in the West Bengal cabinet.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president JP Nadda and several senior leaders. Chief Ministers, including Manik Saha (Tripura), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), Rekha Gupta (Delhi) and Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand), were also present. Adhikari was administered the oath by Governor RN Ravi at a grand ceremony in Kolkata.

BJP ends 15-year TMC rule with decisive mandate

The Bharatiya Janata Party secured a decisive mandate in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, winning 207 seats and ending the TMC's 15-year rule, which was reduced to 80 seats. Adhikari had defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes and also retained the Nandigram Assembly seat. (ANI)

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