Politics
01 Jun, 2026
West Bengal cabinet undergoes expansion, 35 MLAs take oath as ministers
Business To Business, Kolkata, 1st June, 2026: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday carried out a major expansion of his ministry, with 35 BJP legislators taking oath as ministers, raising the total strength of the council of ministers to 41.
Prominent inductees
Among those sworn in were:
- Swapan Dasgupta
- Tapas Roy
- Shankar Ghosh
The oath of office was administered by R. N. Ravi at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata.
Composition of the expanded cabinet
According to reports, the cabinet expansion was designed to achieve a balance across:
- Different regions of West Bengal,
- Various ethnic and social communities,
- Gender representation,
- Political and organizational considerations within the BJP.
Such balancing is often seen as important in a diverse state like West Bengal, where regional and community representation can play a significant role in governance and electoral politics.
Political significance
The expansion comes shortly after the BJP formed its first-ever government in West Bengal following the 2026 Assembly elections. With the induction of a large number of ministers, the government appears to be moving toward a fuller administrative structure to oversee key departments and implement its policy agenda.
The enlarged council is expected to help the new administration:
- Distribute departmental responsibilities more effectively,
- Strengthen representation from different parts of the state,
- Improve coordination between the government and party organization,
- Advance the BJP government's development and governance priorities.
The cabinet expansion is one of the most significant administrative steps taken by the Adhikari government since assuming office and signals the transition from election mode to full-scale governance.