14 TMC MLAs invited to CM Adhikari's North Bengal review meet in Siliguri
Synopsis
West Bengal’s new BJP Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has invited all 14 Trinamool Congress MLAs from North Bengal to his official administrative review in Siliguri — a practice that lapsed entirely during Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year tenure and is now being revived for the first time since the Left Front era.
Key Takeaways
CM Suvendu Adhikari has invited all 14 TMC MLAs from North Bengal to an administrative review meeting in Siliguri on 21 May 2025 .
The invitations cover legislators from eight districts : Cooch Behar ( 1 ), North Dinajpur ( 5 ), South Dinajpur ( 2 ), and Malda ( 6 ).
No TMC legislators exist in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri , or Alipurduar .
The practice of inviting opposition MLAs to official programmes was last followed under CMs Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and was discontinued during Mamata Banerjee’s 2011–2026 tenure .
After the meeting, Adhikari is scheduled to hold talks with BSF officials in Kolkata on Bangladesh border fencing land handover.
In a notable gesture of democratic inclusivity, 14 Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators from eight districts of North Bengal have been formally invited to attend an administrative review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Siliguri in Darjeeling district on Wednesday, 21 May 2025. The invitations were issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), marking one of the first such outreaches to opposition lawmakers under the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal.
Why the Invitation Was Extended
According to a CMO officer, the decision to include opposition legislators was driven personally by CM Adhikari, who reportedly insisted on the gesture to signal that seeking input from elected opposition members is an essential feature of democratic governance. “Trinamool is the only opposition party in the state which has elected legislators from the eight districts of North Bengal. Accordingly, all 14 Trinamool Congress legislators have been sent invitations from the Chief Minister’s Office to be present at the meeting,” the officer confirmed.
A Pointed Contrast With the Banerjee Era
Political observers note that the move carries a deliberate message directed at former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, under whose 15-year tenure from 2011 to 2026 no opposition legislator was reportedly invited to any official programme hosted by her CMO. The practice of including opposition MLAs in government review meetings had previously been followed by the two preceding Communist Party of India (Marxist) Chief Ministers — the late Jyoti Basu and the late Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee — before it was discontinued entirely during the TMC’s rule. The BJP administration is now, according to observers, reviving that convention.
District-Wise Breakdown of TMC Legislators Invited
Of the 14 TMC MLAs from North Bengal, one represents Cooch Behar, five are from North Dinajpur, two from South Dinajpur, and six from Malda. The TMC has no elected legislators from the remaining four North Bengal districts — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar.
CM Adhikari’s Schedule After the Review
Following the Siliguri meeting, CM Adhikari is slated to return to Kolkata by late afternoon. He is then expected to meet senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) to review the status of land handover from the state government for the construction of barbed-wire fencing along unfenced stretches of the West Bengal–Bangladesh border.
The dual agenda — opposition outreach and border security coordination — underscores the early priorities of West Bengal’s new dispensation as it seeks to distinguish itself from its predecessor on both governance style and national security cooperation.
Point of View
High-visibility signal — but it is also a genuine institutional reset. West Bengal’s democratic culture was measurably diminished when opposition legislators were frozen out of official government processes for 15 years; restoring that norm matters regardless of the political motive behind it. The more telling test will come when TMC MLAs actually attend and whether their inputs are reflected in administrative decisions, or whether the invite remains a photo-op. Adhikari is also making a pointed historical argument: by explicitly reviving a Left Front-era practice, he is positioning the BJP as the inheritor of West Bengal’s older, more plural political tradition — a framing that will irritate Trinamool far more than any direct attack.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did CM Suvendu Adhikari invite TMC MLAs to the North Bengal review meeting?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari personally insisted on inviting the 14 TMC MLAs to demonstrate that involving opposition legislators in governance and seeking their suggestions on public service is a healthy democratic practice. The CMO confirmed the invitations were sent at his direction.
Which districts do the 14 invited TMC MLAs represent?
The 14 TMC legislators come from four of North Bengal’s eight districts: one from Cooch Behar, five from North Dinajpur, two from South Dinajpur, and six from Malda. TMC has no elected MLAs in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, or Alipurduar.
Was this practice of inviting opposition MLAs followed before?
Yes. The two previous Left Front Chief Ministers — the late Jyoti Basu and the late Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee — routinely invited opposition legislators to official programmes. The practice was discontinued entirely during Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year tenure from 2011 to 2026 and is now being revived under the BJP government.
What else is on CM Adhikari’s agenda after the Siliguri meeting?
After returning to Kolkata by late afternoon, CM Adhikari is expected to meet senior Border Security Force officials to review the land handover process for erecting barbed-wire fencing along unfenced stretches of the West Bengal–Bangladesh border.
What is the significance of this move for West Bengal politics?
Political observers see the gesture as a subtle rebuke of former CM Mamata Banerjee’s style of governance, under which no opposition MLA was invited to any official programme for 15 years. It signals that the new BJP administration intends to distinguish itself on democratic norms, at least symbolically.
