Suvendu Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh are the leading contenders for West Bengal chief minister after the BJP's historic win, but who will ultimately secure the coveted position is up to Modi and Shah.
Key Points
- Former TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari gained prominence by defeating Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 and 2026 elections.
- Dilip Ghosh's strong organisational background and his long-standing commitment to the BJP make him a strong contender.
- The final decision, of course, will be taken by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
With the swearing-in ceremony announced on May 9, the race for West Bengal's chief minister has begun. Leading the race are Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Dilip Ghosh and Suvendu Adhikari.
On May 4, the BJP scored a historic win in West Bengal by ousting Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress from power by winning 207 seats out of 293 assembly seats where elections were conducted.
The TMC stood a poor second, winning only 80 seats.
Adhikari and Ghosh: Key Contenders for West Bengal CM
Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabhanipur this election by 15,000 votes.
In 2021, he had defeated Mamata in Nandigram by 1,956 votes.
This time he retained Nandigram by 9,665 votes against TMC candidate Pabitra Kar.
Prior to joining the BJP, Suvendu was considered Mamata's right hand man, but fell out with her due to the rise of her nephew Abhishek Banerjee after which he felt sidelined in the party.
He quit the TMC in December 2020 and joined the BJP later.
Dilip Ghosh's Rise Within The BJP
Dilip Ghosh has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 1980; he later shifted to the BJP in 2014. He became the West Bengal BJP president in 2015.
Ghosh contested his first election from Kharagpur Sadar in 2016 and became an MLA. At that point the BJP won only three out of 294 seats in West Bengal.
He was sidelined in party politics as Suvendu became the BJP's face to take on Mamata in the 2021 elections.
He won the Kharagpur Sadar seat in the 2026 election and is now a contender for the CM's post.
The Case For Suvendu Adhikari
Suvendu Adhikari paid a price for joining the BJP as several cases were filed against him by the TMC government on charges ranging from criminal intimidation, attempt to murder, rioting and promoting enmity between groups.
In December 2022, the Calcutta high court granted Adhikari protection, restraining the state from lodging any cases against him without the court's approval.
The high court in October 2025 quashed 15 cases against Adhikari even as it vacated the interim order barring the registration of fresh cases against him without the court's permission.
The Case For Dilip Ghosh
Dilip Ghosh is a strong contender because of his RSS background. He joined the BJP when the party had no roots in West Bengal.
Ghosh built the BJP's organisation in the state brick by brick, a fact that is hard to ignore the BJP's duopoly.
Though he was sidelined in the 2021 assembly elections, he stood by the party and worked under Suvendu Adhikari who is much junior to him in the BJP hierarchy.
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will decide if Adhikari, Ghosh or someone else should become the BJP's first chief minister in West Bengal.
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