From Dilip to Agnimitra: With a pick of five, BJP carefully assembled its first cabinet in West Bengal

THe phoebe ministers sworn in alongside chief government minister Suvendu Adhikari — a former TMC stalwart who discomfited Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur — at Brigade exhibit Ground on Saturday represent a carefully assembled cross-section of West Bengal’s social and political landscape — veteran RSS cadre, first-generation BJP converts, and leaders drawn from the Matua, tribal and Rajbanshi communities that have been central to the party’s electoral arithmetic in the state since 2019.Dilip GhoshAmong the most recognisable faces in the new cabinet, Ghosh brings deep organisational roots to the BJP’s first West Bengal government. A lifelong RSS pracharak, he served as an assistant to former RSS chief KS Sudarshan and was in charge of the organisation’s work in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands before his political career took shape. As state BJP president, he oversaw the party’s breakthrough 2019 Lok Sabha performance. A former MP from Medinipur and an MLA, Ghosh is widely seen as the veteran anchor of the state unit.Agnimitra PaulA fashion designer before she entered politics, Paul joined the BJP in 2019 and rose quickly through the organisation — from state president of the Mahila Morcha 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 cabinet — though the cabinet will inevitably be expanded. Paul has twice contested Lok Sabha elections, including a bypoll, but was defeated on both occasions by TMC.Nisith PramanikA former Union minister of state for home affairs and youth affairs and sports, Pramanik is the cabinet’s most prominent North Bengal voice 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 fielded him from Dinhata in the assembly elections; he won but chose to retain his parliamentary seat, resigning as MLA. He is currently the party’s state vice-president.Ashok KirtaniaThe 52-year-old leader from Bangaon Uttar in North 24 Parganas won his seat by a margin of over 40,000 votes. The seat has a significant Matua presence, a community whose support has delivered consistent electoral gains for the BJP since 2019. Kirtania comes from a business background.Kshudiram TuduA member of the tribal community, the 55-year-old Tudu took his oath in Santhali — a gesture that drew wide notice. A teacher at a government-aided school, he represents Ranibandh in Bankura, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes, which he won by a margin of over 50,000 votes. “The choice of ministers was highly symbolical. While Ghosh is a veteran BJP leader with RSS roots, chosen to strike a balance between the young and old guard, Paul is the only woman in the cabinet. Tudu is a tribal leader, Kirtania comes from a Matua-dominant seat, and Pramanik is a key figure in North Bengal and a Rajbanshi leader. The names were chosen very carefully, keeping in mind the communities and segments that are central to the BJP’s support base,” said Rabindranath Bhattacharya, political commentator.