Who will be the next Chief Minister of West Bengal?

The Bharatiya Janata Party is on course to form government in West Bengal for the first time, according to the latest available data. Of the 294 assembly seats, the BJP is leading in approximately 198 seats, while the ruling Trinamool Congress is ahead in 89 seats. A party needs 148 seats to form government, and with a clear lead, analysts believe a BJP government is all but certain.

Amidst this trend, discussions have begun over who will be the next Chief Minister. Before the election, Union Home Minister Amit Shah repeatedly stated that the next Chief Minister of West Bengal would be someone who speaks Bengali and was raised in Bengal.

Several names have emerged as potential candidates for the top post. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who left the Trinamool Congress to join the BJP, is considered the frontrunner. He contested from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur seats. Other names include state BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya, former president Dilip Ghosh, former MP and analyst Swapan Dasgupta, and party leader Sukanta Majumdar.

Despite trailing, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to give up. She has instructed party candidates and agents not to leave counting centres, alleging irregularities and slow progress in the counting process. She claimed that central forces were being used to pressure the Trinamool Congress. "Do not lose heart. You will win after sunset. Wait and see. We will fight like tiger cubs," she told her party workers.