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) 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.
The BJP named Suvendu Adhikari as chief minister of West Bengal, the party´s leader and Indian interior minister Amit Shah said on Friday.
“It was decided unanimously,” Shah told reporters after a meeting of BJP´s elected members in the eastern state.
Adhikari will be sworn in on Saturday, the BJP´s West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya said.
Votes were counted under tight security in West Bengal -- one of five states and territories across India that held elections in April and May and where results were also announced on Monday.
