New Delhi: With the BJP winning the West Bengal polls, speculation has now intensified over the party's chief ministerial choice, and the BJP leadership has shifted its focus from electoral victory to the most crucial decision of selecting the next chief minister of the state.

As internal discussions intensify, several prominent leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh, Samik Bhattacharya, Rupa Ganguly, Agnimitra Paul, and Swapan Dasgupta, have emerged as key contenders in the race for the top post, making the leadership announcement one of the most closely watched political developments in the country.

Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition and a key face of the campaign, is being seen as a strong contender.

He won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, defeating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

When asked about his role in the leadership race, Adhikari maintained a restrained position and said, "There is no change in me… I am not power-hungry." Despite this statement, political observers believe he remains a key frontrunner due to his mass appeal and strategic importance in the BJP's Bengal expansion. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya is also in the reckoning.

A leader with RSS roots, he is credited with expanding the party's organisational base and has been a Rajya Sabha MP since 2024, playing a key role in consolidating support across the state. Former state president Dilip Ghosh, known for his strong grassroots connect, remains another prominent name in the internal discussion. He played a crucial role in expanding the BJP's presence in West Bengal during previous election cycles and helped strengthen the party's booth-level structure across districts.

Multiple media reports said that other possible contenders include former Union minister Nisith Pramanik, MLA Agnimitra Paul, former Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly, and MLA Shankar Ghosh.