Bengal CM-elect Suvendu Adhikari meets Governor, stakes claim to form govt

West Bengal chief minister-elect Suvendu Adhikari on Friday evening met Governor R N Ravi and formally staked claim to form the BJP government in the state for the first time.

Senior BJP leaders, including Dilip Ghosh, Locket Chatterjee and Tapas Roy, accompanied Adhikari to the Lok Bhavan.

The meeting came shortly after he was chosen as the leader of the BJP legislature party during a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP secured a massive victory in the recently held Assembly elections, winning 207 seats in the 294-member House, while the TMC was reduced to 80 seats.

Adhikari is set to take oath as chief minister on Saturday at Brigade Parade Grounds. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and around 20 chief ministers from BJP-ruled states are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.