Bhubaneswar, May 8 -- Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was on Friday elected as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party in West Bengal, paving the way for him to become the next Chief Minister of the state.

The announcement was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was appointed as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in West Bengal.

"I announce the name of Suvendu Adhikari as the elected leader of the West Bengal BJP Legislative Party," Shah said following the legislature party meeting.

Adhikari's election marks a historic political shift in West Bengal, with the Bharatiya Janata Party set to form the government in the state.

With his unanimous election as legislature party leader, Adhikari is ...