"We will restore respect of women", says West Bengal Minister Kshudiram Tudu

Speaking to ANI here, Tudu said, "I have got an opportunity to work for the development of West Bengal... We will restore the respect of women and not tolerate any crimes against them... We will end the atrocity faced by the tribals."

Tudu's remarks came a day after senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as West Bengal's first BJP Chief Minister, marking a major political shift in the state after the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a sweeping mandate in the Assembly polls.

Along with Tudu, BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania and Nisith Pramanik also took oath as ministers in the new cabinet during the grand ceremony held in Kolkata.

Earlier in the day, Dilip Ghosh had stressed that the BJP government faced the challenge of rebuilding governance and restoring public confidence in the state. "We have to rebuild Bengal... There is no law and order; people were living in fear... We have to work on everything, and it will take time. However, we will get to work immediately, and you will be able to see the change," Ghosh had said after the swearing-in ceremony.

The oath-taking event witnessed the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. BJP national president J. P. Nadda, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami were also present.

The BJP scripted history in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections by winning 207 seats, ending the Trinamool Congress' 15-year rule in the state. The TMC managed to secure only 80 seats in the Assembly.

Adhikari also emerged victorious from both Bhabanipur and Nandigram constituencies. According to Election Commission data, he defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by 15,105 votes. (ANI)