BJP leader Agnimitra Paul on Saturday said the recent West Bengal Assembly election results had shown that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was “not above the law” and “not God”, following the BJP’s victory in the state. Paul made the remarks after joining the core team of newly sworn-in Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari as a cabinet minister.

Speaking to NDTV after the swearing-in ceremony, Paul said the people of West Bengal had delivered a clear message through their mandate. She accused several Trinamool Congress leaders of portraying Banerjee as a divine figure and said the election outcome had rejected such claims. According to Paul, Banerjee should recognise that she is bound by India’s Constitution and democratic processes like any other political leader.

Paul also referred to remarks allegedly made by Trinamool leaders comparing Banerjee to Maa Sarada, a revered spiritual figure in Bengal. She said Banerjee never discouraged such comparisons and suggested that party leaders made those statements to please the Trinamool chief. “The people of West Bengal have said everything,” Paul said while reacting to the poll verdict.

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Earlier in the day, Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal in the presence of senior party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several BJP leaders, including Agnimitra Paul, Dilip Ghosh, Nisith Pramanik, Kshudiram Tudu and Ashok Kirtania, were also sworn in as cabinet ministers in the new government.

When asked whether the BJP should have appointed a woman chief minister, Paul defended the party’s decision to choose Adhikari. She said the leadership considered his three decades of political experience and his role in leading the party both inside and outside the Assembly before making the decision. Paul added that different sections of people would always hold varying opinions on leadership choices.

The BJP’s victory in West Bengal marks a major political shift in the state, where the Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerjee had dominated politics for years. The formation of the BJP government is expected to reshape the state’s political landscape ahead of future national and regional elections.

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