India, May 9 -- Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday declared Suvendu Adhikari the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) West Bengal legislative party, paving his way to become chief minister of the eastern state after sweeping to power in a landmark victory earlier this week.

Adhikari will take oath as head of the first BJP state government in West Bengal at a public ceremony at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata on Saturday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah and CMs from several BJP-ruled states on a day that marks Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary. The new government is also likely to have two deputy chief ministers, said leaders aware of developments.

"A meeting of our West Bengal legislative ...