The rise of Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal’s first BJP chief minister marks not merely a change of government but also a test of whether the Bharatiya Janata Party can transform itself from a powerful electoral machine into a credible governing force in a state long shaped by ideological politics and administrative drift.

During the last half-century, Bengal’s politics revolved around confrontation—first under the Left Front and later under Mamata Banerjee. Adhikari now faces the hard task of governance and the even harder task of meeting the expectations of his voters who have voted for a ‘Sonar Bangla’ or a ‘Golden Age for Bengal’.

Voters will look for visible delivery, particularly on the BJP’s campaign promises. The initial tasks are simple—the BJP committed itself to clearing pending dearness allowance........

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