Rathindra Bose, a first-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Cooch Behar (Dakshin) constituency, has been elected unopposed as the new Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly. Bose was announced as the BJP nominee for the Speaker’s post by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, and no other candidate was proposed, leading to his uncontested election.
In a display of Parliamentary democracy, Bose took his position as Speaker with Chief Minister Adhikari and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the current Leader of Opposition, by his side. Biman Bandopadhya, Bose’s predecessor from the Trinamool Congress regime, congratulated him on his new role.
As per tradition, Bose gave Chief Minister Adhikari the first opportunity to address the Assembly. The Chief Minister declared that all future Assembly proceedings would be broadcast live, emphasizing constructive work and respectful opposition participation.
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Bose is the first Speaker from North Bengal and has a background with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) before joining politics. He won the 2026 Assembly elections by defeating the Trinamool candidate from Cooch Behar South constituency. Bose’s election marks a departure from the legal profession norm for Speakers in West Bengal.
