West Bengal's first BJP government has wasted no time getting to work. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari swiftly assigned portfolios to five newly sworn-in Cabinet ministers on Saturday, placing familiar party faces in charge of key departments as the administration took its first steps toward governance.

The five ministers and their portfolios

Dilip Ghosh — Rural Development, Panchayats, and Animal Resources

One of the BJP's most recognisable faces in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, played a central role in the party's organisational expansion across the state. A former state BJP president and ex-Member of Parliament from Medinipur, Ghosh brings considerable political experience to one of the government's most grassroots-facing portfolios.

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Ashok Kirtania — (Portfolio to be confirmed)

A BJP MLA from Bangaon Uttar in North 24 Parganas, Kirtania, won his seat in the 2026 Assembly elections by a decisive margin of 40,670 votes, defeating TMC's Biswajit Das. He belongs to the influential Matua community, which has been a significant support base for the BJP in recent electoral cycles.

Khudiram Tudu — Backward Class Welfare

A tribal leader from Bankura's Ranibandh constituency in the Jungle Mahal region, Tudu, won the Ranibandh (ST) seat in 2026 by a commanding margin of 52,269 votes over TMC candidate Tanushree Hansda. His appointment signals the government's intent to prioritise representation from the state's tribal communities.

Agnimitra Paul — Women and Child Welfare

The only woman in the new Cabinet, Agnimitra Paul brings an unusual background to politics, she is a fashion designer by profession who went on to lead the BJP Mahila Morcha in West Bengal before being appointed vice-president of the party's state unit. She retained the Asansol Dakshin Assembly seat in 2026 with a margin of 40,839 votes against TMC's Tapas Banerjee.

Nisith Pramanik — North Bengal Development, Sports, and Youth Welfare

A former TMC member who crossed over to the BJP in 2019, Pramanik went on to serve as a Union Minister of State in the Modi government, becoming one of the youngest to hold that office at the time. In the 2026 elections, he won the Mathabhanga (SC) seat by a margin of 57,090 votes, defeating TMC's Sablu Barman.

A new chief secretary

Alongside the Cabinet portfolios, the government also named its administrative head. West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre who oversaw the Election Commission's voter roll revision exercise ahead of the polls, was appointed Chief Secretary. Incumbent Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala was named Principal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi.

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First Cabinet meeting: Key decisions

At his first Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Adhikari announced the rollout of several central government schemes that had previously not been implemented in the state under TMC rule, including Ayushman Bharat, PM Jan Arogya Yojana, PM Kisan-related insurance, PM SHRI, the Vishwakarma Scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Ujjwala Yojana.

On the governance front, the Cabinet announced alignment with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a five-year increase in the age limit for government jobs, participation of IAS officers in central training programmes, and stricter implementation of census directives. Border security also featured prominently, with Adhikari emphasising faster land allocation to the Border Security Force.

Published on: May 12, 2026 11:15 AM IST