“Who will be Bengal’s next Chief Minister?” is the question that has kept everyone guessing.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is the main observer for the selection of the BJP’s legislative party leader in the West Bengal state Assembly, will head to Kolkata on Wednesday night. The BJP had informed that he is the main observer for the selection of the next chief minister, while Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is the assistant observer.
Now that the process has been set in motion, all eyes are on who the first BJP Chief Minister of Bengal will be. Amid the anticipation, a remark made by Amit Shah earlier is suddenly in focus.
During the first phase of voting, when asked who the Chief Minister would be if the BJP came to power, he answered: “Whoever becomes the Chief Minister, he should be a son of Bengal, educated in Bengal, Bengali speaking and a BJP worker.”
Political pundits feel that BJP senior leader Shuvendu Adhikari fits Shah’s criteria. He has proven his strength by defeating Mamata Banerjee from the Bhavanipur seat, not just this time but also in the 2021 elections when he defeated Mamata in Nandigram. He has proved that he is indeed the giant killer.
According to BJP functionaries, Agnimitra Paul could be an ideal CM candidate if the BJP wants to replace Mamata with a woman candidate of its own. Paul was a Lok Sabha MP from 2019 to 2024.
Paul’s social media says that she was a fashion designer before turning to politics.
A BJP leader told Hindustan Times on Monday, “Our party will hold a meeting tonight to select the chief minister. Adhikari is on the list. Some leaders have also proposed the names of Rajya Sabha member and state president Samik Bhattacharya and state vice-president Agnimitra Paul, who has won from Asansol Dakshin.”
