Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Suvendu's cabinet ministers begin Darbars to widen direct outreach
A big political party in India called the BJP runs the state of West Bengal.
The leader of the state, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, started holding special open meetings called Janatar Darbar.
At these meetings, ordinary people could come and tell the Chief Minister their problems.
Now the party has said that every minister must hold such meetings too.
The first minister to do it was Agnimitra Paul, who met about two dozen people at a party office.
Each minister will get a schedule, and people can meet them by appointment.
Ministers will listen to problems that belong to their own departments, like urban development.
The party says this keeps the government close to the people.
It also wants to avoid the old way of doing things, when, according to the BJP, the previous leader Mamata Banerjee was the only person in charge and ministers were far away from common people.
The BJP has made it mandatory for all West Bengal cabinet ministers to meet people regularly in person, on the lines of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's Janatar Darbar.
Urban development minister Agnimitra Paul was the first minister after Suvendu to hold such a session, meeting around two dozen people at the BJP's Salt Lake office on Saturday.
Suvendu has been regularly holding Janatar Darbars since his first session on May 18, meeting 60-80 people in each session and addressing grievances.
Ministers will also meet people at the party's state headquarters at 6, Murlidhar Sen Lane in central Calcutta, with a scheduled date for each minister and meetings by appointment, using names other than Janatar Darbar.
A BJP source said the party wants to avoid what it claimed was the Trinamool regime's excessive centralisation under Mamata Banerjee, when ministers became 'VIPs and distant from the common people.'
- Who
- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and BJP cabinet ministers of West Bengal, including Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul.
- What
- The BJP has made it mandatory for all cabinet ministers to hold regular in-person public sessions to hear and address people's grievances, modelled on Suvendu Adhikari's Janatar Darbar.
- When
- Agnimitra Paul held the first ministerial session on Saturday; Suvendu's first Janatar Darbar was held on May 18.
- Where
- West Bengal, with sessions at the BJP's Salt Lake office and its state headquarters at 6, Murlidhar Sen Lane in central Calcutta.
- Why
- To keep the party and government connected with the grassroots and to address departmental grievances more efficiently.
Party-organised public outreach
Centralised leadership style
How the government should connect with people
Party-organised public outreach
The BJP says cabinet ministers holding regular in-person sessions at party offices will keep the party and government connected with the grassroots, help address departmental grievances, and ensure people are not denied services.
Centralised leadership style
A BJP source alleged that during the Trinamool regime, Mamata Banerjee was the sole authority, very few people had access to her, and ministers became 'VIPs and distant from the common people' — a style the BJP says it wants to avoid at all cost.
- State
- West Bengal
- Government
- BJP-led, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari
- Outreach initiatives
- Janatar Darbar (Suvendu's sessions); ministerial sessions use other names, e.g., Mukhomukhi
- First ministerial session
- Agnimitra Paul (Urban Development), Saturday, BJP Salt Lake office, ~two dozen people
- People met per Janatar Darbar
- 60-80
- First Janatar Darbar
- May 18, BJP Salt Lake office
- Other venue
- 6, Murlidhar Sen Lane, central Calcutta
- BJP chief spokesperson
- Debjit Sarkar