The West Bengal cabinet expansion will take place on Monday with 35 ministers set to take oath, taking the strength of the Council of Ministers to 41 as the BJP government moves closer to a full-strength ministry.

Swearing-In At Lok Bhavan

The first expansion of the BJP-led West Bengal government is scheduled for Monday, with 35 new ministers expected to be inducted into the state cabinet at a ceremony in Kolkata.

Governor R.N. Ravi will administer the oath of office and secrecy at Lok Bhavan from 11 a.m. The expansion comes less than a month after the formation of the new government and is expected to significantly broaden the administrative structure ahead of key governance initiatives.

With the addition of the new ministers, the strength of the Council of Ministers will rise from six to 41.

Ministry Near Full Strength

The current council was formed on May 9 when Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari took oath along with five cabinet colleagues — Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Nisith Pramanik, Ashok Kirtania and Kshudiram Tudu.

Under the provisions of the 91st Constitutional Amendment, the size of a state cabinet cannot exceed 15 per cent of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly. In West Bengal, which has 294 MLAs, the maximum permissible number of ministers is 44.

Following Monday’s expansion, the government will remain three ministers short of the constitutional limit. Political observers said the remaining vacancies could be filled at a later stage depending on administrative and political requirements.

Names Yet To Be Announced

The official list of ministers to be sworn in had not been released till late Sunday. However, several BJP leaders are being widely discussed as likely entrants to the ministry.

Among the names doing the rounds are Rupa Ganguly, Rudranil Ghosh, Swapan Dasgupta, Tapas Roy, Shankar Ghosh, Sharadwat Mukherjee, Indranil Khan, Arjun Singh, Kaustav Bagchi, Ratna Debnath, Utpal Maharaj, Rajesh Kumar and Dipanjan Chakraborty.

Sources familiar with the developments said the final composition is expected to balance regional representation, organisational experience and electoral considerations.

Portfolio Allocation Earlier

The expansion follows the portfolio allocation carried out earlier this month by Chief Minister Adhikari.

Nisith Pramanik was assigned the North Bengal Development, Sports and Youth Welfare departments, while Dilip Ghosh was entrusted with Rural Development, Animal Resources Development and Agricultural Marketing.

Agnimitra Paul received charge of Women and Child Development, Social Welfare and Municipal Affairs. Ashok Kirtania was given the Food and Supplies and Cooperation departments.

Kshudiram Tudu was assigned Tribal Development, Backward Classes Welfare, Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education.

CM Retains Key Departments

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has retained some of the most significant portfolios in the government, including Home and Finance.

The decision is being viewed as an indication that the chief minister intends to maintain direct oversight over law and order, fiscal management and major policy decisions during the initial phase of the administration.

Government officials said the expanded cabinet would help accelerate departmental functioning and improve coordination across sectors as the administration settles into office.

Political Significance

Monday’s cabinet expansion marks an important milestone for the BJP government in West Bengal. The move is expected to provide broader political representation within the ruling party and strengthen governance capacity across the state.

The induction of a larger team of ministers also comes at a time when the government is preparing to implement its policy agenda and address administrative priorities across districts.

Attention will now shift to the final list of inductees and the allocation of portfolios, both of which are expected to shape the functioning of the new government in the months ahead.