Who will be the next Bengal chief minister? Meet Mamata Banerjee’s likely successor as assembly dissolves

FOr xv years, the political identity operator of due west Bengal has been associated with Mamata Banerjee. That epoch came to an terminate on Thursday when the state’s legislative assembly was dissolved, clearing the way for the Bharatiya Janata Party to take office for the first time in the state.In the 2026 assembly elections, the saffron party won 207 seats in the 294-member house, ending three terms of Trinamool Congress (TMC) rule.Who will be Bengal's next chief minister?The primary choice so far is BJP's Suvendu Adhikari. Once a key lieutenant in Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, Adhikari is now the man who unseated her.He defeated the outgoing chief minister in her Bhabanipur stronghold. His rise fulfils the CM criteria set by the party leadership. Their vision promised a leader who was local, Bengali-educated, and rooted in the state’s grassroots politics. Other contenders for the CM postDilip GhoshA senior BJP leader and former state president, Dilip Ghosh won from Kharagpur Sadar in the latest Assembly election. He has a background in the RSS and has earlier led the party’s state campaign.Samik BhattacharyaSamik Bhattacharya is the BJP’s state president. He is viewed as an organisational leader with focus on booth-level planning, cadre strength, and election management.Rupa GangulyRupa Ganguly is a former Rajya Sabha member and actor who secured a strong win from Sonarpur Dakshin.Agnimitra Paul Agnimitra Paul retained Asansol Dakshin with a significant margin. She is also a state vice president and has been active in public outreach, especially on women-related issues and media communication.Swapan DasguptaSwapan Dasgupta won the Rashbehari seat in this election. He is a former Rajya Sabha member and academic.Did Mamata Banerjee resign?Mamata Banerjee led the state for three consecutive terms from 2011 to 2026 until she was voted out of power this week. Alleging a conspiracy behind the poll outcome, Banerjee strongly declined to resign.“Let them impose President's Rule if they want. Let them dismiss me if they want,” she said at a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, as per news agency PTI. “Let it remain on record as a black day,” Banerjee told Party workers.The impasse ended only when Bengal governor RN Ravi dissolved the Legislative Assembly on May 7 as its five-year term expired. While the TMC plans to challenge the results in court, the BJP is going ahead with its government formation.How the next Bengal CM will be chosenThe BJP has scheduled a legislative party meeting in Kolkata for Friday, May 8. During this session, the 207 newly elected MLAs are expected to formally elect a new chief minister.State president Samik Bhattacharya will propose a name, and Union home minister Amit Shah is expected to announce the decision. Following the meeting, party leaders will visit Raj Bhavan to officially stake their claim to form the government.When will Bengal get its new chief minister?The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 9. It coincides with Rabindra Jayanti. The event is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various senior BJP leaders.Suvendu Adhikari to be Bengal’s new chief minister?Suvendu Adhikari’s likely rise to the top post follows a long career in Bengal politics. He was previously a senior minister in the TMC cabinet and played a major role in the Nandigram land movement that originally brought Mamata Banerjee to power in 2011.Since joining the BJP in 2020, he has become the face of the opposition. His victory in Bhabanipur strengthened his position as the party's most influential leader in the state.