The BJP has a tradition of often contesting state assembly elections without a CM face. It has such confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the entire election is fought solely on his name. After an election victory, speculation begins about the chief ministerial candidate. It is said in political circles that the BJP leader whose name appears in the media as a chief ministerial candidate is never appointed Chief Minister. Nevertheless, speculation continues even after an election victory.
For the first time in West Bengal, the BJP has won with a landslide victory. Trends indicate over 200 seats. Discussions have begun about who will be the BJP’s first Chief Minister in Bengal. Some names are being discussed. There are also some women leaders among them, who may be the choice of the top leadership of BJP amid the uproar over women reservation.
Although the BJP already has a female Chief Minister in Delhi (Rekha Gupta), experts believe that the BJP, which is campaigning on the issue of women’s safety, may appoint a female leader as Chief Minister.
Roopa Ganguly
The most prominent name among these is that of Roopa Ganguly. Ganguly, who played the character of Draupadi in the TV serial Mahabharata, directed by BR Chopra, is a popular face of the party in Bengal. She has served as a Rajya Sabha MP. Rupa Ganguly, MLA from Sonarpur South, has also served as president of the Bengal BJP Mahila Morcha. Consequently, she is considered to have a strong grassroots presence.
Agnimitra Paul
Fashion designer Agnimitra Paul is another name in the race that has been in the news. She is one of the prominent women leaders of the BJP in Bengal. Having previously headed the Bengal unit of the BJP Mahila Morcha, Paul has risen rapidly within the party. Currently, she is the state vice-president of the BJP Bengal unit. Paul has won the Asansol South seat again in the 2026 elections. A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Paul is known for her aggressive campaigning and sharp attacks on Mamata Banerjee.
Suvendu Adhikari
In addition to these two women leaders, Mamata Banerjee’s former colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP from the TMC, is also in the running for the CM post. The BJP also has no qualms about appointing leaders from other parties as CMs. Suvendu is considered to have played a major role in expanding the BJP’s support base in Bengal. In the 2021 assembly elections, Suvendu defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Nandigram.
Dilip Ghosh
The BJP may or may not have a CM face in Bengal, but the organizational face is Dilip Ghosh. With his aggressive political style and strong grassroots presence, Ghosh could become the BJP’s first CM in the state. He is considered to have played a major role in the BJP’s rise from 3 to 77 seats in the 2021 elections. He is not the BJP’s state president, but he still wields considerable influence in the state. He is a longtime RSS worker. However, he is famous for his slip of tongue and controversial statements.
Samik Bhattacharya
Samik Bhattacharya is the state president of the Bengal BJP. He is also an RSS worker and is popular within the party as a respected consensus builder. Known for his behind-the-scenes work, he is a front-runner to head the first BJP government in the state.
So now it remains to be seen who takes charge of Bengal?
