CM Suvendu receives Guard of Honour at Nabanna ahead of first cabinet meeting

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was accorded a Guard of Honour at Nabanna on Monday as he formally began administrative work as the ninth Chief Minister of West Bengal. He reached the state secretariat from the BJP state headquarters in Salt Lake and was welcomed by Chief Secretary Dushmanta Nariwala, Director General of Police Siddhanath Gupta, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda, and several senior police and administrative officials. A Kolkata Police contingent and police band presented the ceremonial Guard of Honour at the VIP corridor of Nabanna.

Following the ceremony, the Chief Minister proceeded to the 14th floor of Nabanna, where the first cabinet meeting of West Bengal’s first BJP government was held. The five ministers sworn in alongside him — Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Khudiram Tudu, Nisith Pramanik, and Dilip Ghosh — attended the meeting. Discussions were expected on portfolio allocation and several government schemes, including Ayushman Bharat. Sources said Suvendu Adhikari also held discussions with Chief Secretary Dushmanta Nariwala and Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh regarding administrative matters.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister visited the residence of BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya in Salt Lake before going to the party headquarters. At the BJP office, he was welcomed with flowers, ceremonial honours, and 207 lotus garlands symbolising the party’s Assembly tally. According to the schedule, the Chief Minister was also expected to hold meetings later in the day with BJP MLAs, principal secretaries, district magistrates, the Director General of Police, the Kolkata Police Commissioner, and senior police officers as the new government began its administrative functioning.