Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as West Bengal's first BJP Chief Minister on May 9, 2026, after the saffron party secured 207 seats in the assembly elections, ending TMC's 15-year rule. Amid populist measures, BJP eyes an outsider for finance minister to tackle the state's stagnant economy, now at 5.5% of India's GDP from 11% at independence.

Sanjeev Sanyal, PM Modi's EAC member with G7/OECD experience, tops the list per saffron sources. Reports suggest he could contest Nandigram, vacated by Adhikari, to enter assembly. Sanyal advocates infrastructure revival, maritime economy via Kolkata/Haldia ports, urban renewal, and Kolkata as eastern India's growth engine.

Cabinet expansion is phased for regional balance; no finance minister named yet. Sanyal's vision counters two generations of decline, pushing entrepreneurship over nostalgia. If appointed, he could transform Bengal into an industrial hub, bridging India's east-west economic gap.