Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal’s first Chief Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took oath today at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, marking a dramatic shift in the state’s political landscape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Union Ministers attended the ceremony that marks the end of the 15-year tenure of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). However, the transition has not been without a share of controversies. TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has launched a scathing attack on the electoral process and demanded the immediate public release of CCTV footage of counting centres.
Banerjee has thrown down the gauntlet to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to release unedited recordings from May 4 between 12 noon and 6 PM. He cites serious irregularities, including “mismatches” in EVM serial numbers and suspicious battery levels that he says indicate tampering. “The truth of the mandate will be reflected in the booths,” Banerjee said, adding the party would not accept the results till transparency was established. He also announced the formation of a TMC fact-finding committee to probe the “theft of the people’s mandate”.
Despite these charges, the BJP celebrated a historic win, with 207 seats in the 293-member assembly. “Desperation in the face of defeat,” Chief Minister Adhikari declared in his inaugural address, promising a new era of “double-engine growth” for Bengal, dismissing the TMC’s claims. He had promised to launch investigations into corruption and crimes against women of the previous regime. As the new government takes over, the legal and political fight over the 2026 election results seems far from over with the TMC indicating a long-term drive to challenge the legitimacy of the BJP’s sweep.
