BJP names Adhikari as West Bengal CM

KOLKATA:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party named a chief minister of West Bengal state on Friday, cementing its thumping win in key elections in the bastion long held by its adversary.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) named Suvendu Adhikari as chief minister of West Bengal, the party's leader and Indian interior minister Amit Shah said Friday.

The BJP claimed a landmark 207 out of 294 seats in the legislative assembly in Monday's results, marking its first electoral victory in the largely Bengali-speaking state of more than 100 million.

The results should put Modi on a stronger footing while he battles a series of economic and foreign policy challenges, including high unemployment rates and a pending US trade deal, ahead of a general election in 2029.