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Kolkata: Hours after West Bengal Governor RN Ravi dissolved the state assembly and its cabinet, thereby indicating that Mamata Banerjee can not longer hold on to her seat, the BJP which has swept the state assembly polls winning more than 200 seats, indicated that the much anticipated decision on who will be the next chief minister is all set to be announced on Friday evening.

Sharing the itinerary of the stalwart figures from the saffron party who will be visiting the state, BJP MP Saumitra Khan told ANI, "Our Chief Minister will be announced tomorrow. Our Home Minister Amit Shah and Odisha CM is also coming here. They will be here by 3 o'clock. We have a meeting at 4 o'clock in Biswa Bangla Convention Centre."

The West Bengal Assembly that was dissolved on Thursday was constituted in May 2021 when the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress returned to power in the state for the third consecutive term.

The BJP won West Bengal, after a decade of making inroads into the state, which was earlier ruled by the Left for 34 years and 15 years by the TMC. The party has stepped up preparations for a grand oath-taking ceremony in the capital on May 9.

Who Are The Frontrunners In The CM Race?

While the former Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has emerged to be the most visible face of the party in West Bengal, the BJP's ability to spring surprises with its choices of CM faces has the ability to stun political pundits. However, some candidates have emerged to be the frontrunners for the top post in the state:

Suvendu Adhikari: Starting with the obvious, Adhikari is the most powerful claimant to the top post. Having enough administrative expertise, both in government (while with the TMC) and in Oppostion, Adhikari has been key on propagating the saffron party's polarising machinery in the state. Once a close aide of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, he is well versed with the Trinamool's political machinery, giving him an edge to challenge his politcal opponent. He has defeated Banerjee twice, earlier in 2021, and this time from Bhabanipur, with a margin of 15,000 viotes.

Samik Bhattacharya: Samik Bhattacharya, the current West Bengal BJP president and Rajya Sabha member since 2024 has also emerged to be another frontrunner. Being an RSS member for a long time, an advantage that Adhikari does not share, Bhattacharya has held several organisational positions within the saffron party and is known for being a team player, taking everyone along with his calm demeanour. Bhattacharya has also served as an MLA from Basirhat Dakshin.

Dilip Ghosh: BJP's former West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh, has played an instrumental role in expanding the saffron party's base in the state, where the rise of the right was initially seen to be a distant possibility. Ghosh's visible presence was formidable during the 2019 Lok Sabha and the 2021 Assembly elections. The former Medinipur MP, remains an influential figure and won from Kharagpur Sadar by a margin of more than 30506 votes.

Agnimitra Paul: Fashion designer turned politician Agnimitra Paul has quickly risen through the ranks of the BJP since joining in 2019 and became one of the party's visible women faces in Bengal. Paul who emerged victorious this time from Asansol Dakshin by a margin of 40839 votes, is also the party's Vice President, and had earlier headed the BJP Mahila Morcha in the state.

Shankar Ghosh: While Shankar Ghosh's popularity is largely regional, the MLA from Siliguri who has retained his seat this time with a margin of 73192 votes, may be seen as another probable face, if the party wants to further strengthen its foothold in the norther parts of the state.  

Roopa Ganguly: Known among the masses for her role as Draupadi in BR Chopra's TV series Mahabharat, Roopa Ganguly joined the BJP in 2015 and has remained one of the party's most visible woman faces, especially from Tollywood. Ganguly served as the Rajya Sabha MP from 2016 to 2022. She won from the Sonarpur Dakshin assembly seat by a margin of 35,782 votes.