West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a major expansion of his government with 35 ministers set to be inducted during an oath-taking ceremony scheduled for Monday. According to the latest announcement, the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at Nabanna at 11 am on Monday. As reported by Press Trust of India, Governor R N Ravi will administer the oaths during the ceremony. The expansion marks a significant reshuffle as the state government moves to strengthen its administrative team and governance across various departments. The 294-member assembly allows for a maximum of 44 ministers under Article 164(1A) of the Constitution, which caps the Council of Ministers at 15% of the assembly strength. According to Business Standard, this political shift has created a new alignment between the state and the Centre, which is particularly important for regional connectivity and trade facilitation.
Among those sworn in as new ministers were BJP MLAs Swapan Dasgupta, Dudh Kumar Mondal, Deepak Burman, Manoj Oraon, Gouri Shankar Ghosh, Arjun Singh, Tapas Roy, Saradwat Mukherjee, Jagannath Chattopadhyay and Shankar Ghosh. As reported by Press Trust of India, MLAs Rajesh Mahata, Indranil Khan and Malati Rava Roy took oath as Ministers of State (independent charge). The 35-member ministry reflects the BJP government's attempt to balance regional, caste and community representation while accommodating both experienced leaders and first-time ministers. The ceremony at Nabanna reflects the growing responsibilities and portfolios being distributed among the new ministers, with the induction representing a substantial expansion of the state's administrative capacity.
BJP MLA Arjun Singh, who is part of the new cabinet, expressed his readiness to take on new responsibilities in line with party and public expectations. According to The Hindu, speaking to ANI, Singh said, "I always take on new responsibilities and strive to fulfil them." Singh highlighted his commitment to align with his party's direction while ensuring public welfare, adding that whatever the government wants, the party wants, or the people want, they must rise to the occasion.
The electoral verdict in West Bengal has produced a new alignment between the state and the Centre, creating significant opportunities for eastern integration. As reported by Business Standard, bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh reached ₹1.09 trillion in FY26, making Bangladesh India's largest South Asian trading partner and India Bangladesh's second-largest trading partner globally. Trade through India's land border crossings with Bangladesh accounted for ₹44,202 crore in FY26, around 40% of total bilateral trade with West Bengal, with Petrapole handling ₹28,203 crore in trade. The World Bank estimates that improving transport connectivity between India and Bangladesh could increase exports from Bangladesh to India by 297% and from India to Bangladesh by 172%.
