The five ministers who were sworn in alongside Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari – the former TMC loyalist who defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur – at Brigade Parade on Saturday, represent a carefully assembled cross-section of West Bengal’s socio-political landscape – a veteran cadre of the RSS, first-generation converts to the BJP, and leaders from the Matua, tribal and Rajbanshi communities who have been central to the party’s electoral calculation in the state ever since. 2019.
Dilip Ghosh
Among the most recognizable faces of the new government, Ghosh brings deep organizational roots to the BJP’s first West Bengal government. A lifelong RSS pracharak, he worked as an aide to former RSS chief K S Sudarshan and was in charge of the organization’s work in Andaman and Nicobar Islands before his political career took shape. As state BJP president, he oversaw the party’s stunning performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha performance. A former Medinipur MP and MLA, Ghosh is widely seen as the veteran anchor of state unity.
Agnimitra Paul
A fashion designer before entering politics, Paul joined the BJP in 2019 and rose quickly through the organization — from Mahila Morcha state president to state general secretary and, earlier this year, state vice president. She is a two-time MLA from Asansol Dakshin and the only woman in the new government – although the government will inevitably be expanded. Paul twice contested the Lok Sabha elections, including bypolls, but was defeated on both occasions by the TMC.
Nisith Pramanik
Pramanik, a former Minister of State for Home Affairs, Youth Affairs and Sports, is the most prominent voice in the North Bengal Cabinet and a key figure among the Rajbanshi community. He was with the TMC until 2019, when he defected to the BJP and won the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat. In 2021, the party nominated him from Dinhatta in the Lok Sabha elections. He won but chose to retain his parliamentary seat, and resigned as MLA. He is currently the party’s state vice president.
Ashok Kirtania
The 52-year-old leader from Pangaon Uttar in North 24 Parganas won his seat by a margin of over 40,000 votes. The seat has a significant presence in Matua, a community whose support has delivered consistent electoral gains for the BJP since 2019. Kirtania comes from a business background.
Kshudiram Tudu
Tudu, 55, a member of the tribal community, took the oath in Santali – a gesture that attracted widespread attention. A teacher in a government-aided school, he represents Ranibandh in Bankura, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes, which he won by a margin of more than 50,000 votes. “The selection of ministers was highly symbolic. While Ghosh is a veteran BJP leader with RSS roots, chosen to balance the junior and senior guard, Paul is the only woman in the cabinet. Tudu is a tribal leader, Kirtania comes from a Matua-dominated seat, and Pramanik is a key figure in North Bengal and a Rajbanshi leader. The names have been chosen with utmost care, keeping in mind the communities and sectors that are central to the BJP’s support base,” he said. Rabindranath Bhattacharya, political commentator.
