Kolkata, May 13 -- Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has asked Rashbehari MLA Swapan Dasgupta to temporarily oversee matters related to the Education Department, sparking speculations that Dasgupta may eventually be entrusted with the portfolio formally in the newly formed BJP government in Bengal.
So far, only five elected MLAs have been given ministerial portfolios. According to sources, during a review meeting with secretaries, Adhikari asked Dasgupta to supervise the department's functioning and coordinate with officials of the department until further instructions.
In Bengal's political landscape, Dasgupta has long been regarded as one of the prominent intellectual faces associated with the BJP. Over the years, he has remained active in journalism, political commentary and parliamentary politics. He was also widely recognised as one of the BJP's leading English-language spokespersons in the media. Dasgupta formally entered Bengal's electoral politics during the 2021 Assembly elections, when he contested from Tarakeswar on a BJP ticket. However, he lost that election to the Trinamool Congress candidate.
In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, he contested from Kolkata's Rashbehari Constituency and defeated Debasish Kumar.
Dasgupta, when contacted, did not comment on the matter.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.