Kolkata: In a move aimed at strengthening tribal representation in West Bengal’s first BJP-led government, BJP MLA Kshudiram Tudu was inducted into the new state cabinet on Friday, marking the rise of a relatively low-profile leader from the politically significant Jangalmahal region.
A first-time legislator, the 55-year-old leader won the Ranibandh (ST) Assembly seat in Bankura district by a margin of more than 52,000 votes in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. He defeated the Trinamool Congress candidate in one of the state’s significant tribal constituencies, reinforcing the BJP’s growing influence in the tribal belt of the state. On Saturday, he took oath in Santhali language.
Tudu’s inclusion in the cabinet is being viewed as a strategic decision by the BJP to consolidate its support among tribal communities in the Jangalmahal region, which includes parts of Bankura, Jhargram, Purulia and West Midnapore districts. The region has emerged as a major political battleground over the last decade.
Tudu has largely stayed away from headline politics despite being active at the grassroots level. According to reports, he previously worked as a school teacher before entering electoral politics. His wife is an ASHA worker engaged in rural healthcare services, according to a HT report.
Reports also claimed that no criminal cases had been registered against him, a factor BJP leaders highlighted while projecting him as a grassroots representative with a simple background. According to his poll affidavit, Tudu is a graduate and has declared assets worth around ₹23 lakh.
Tudu took oath as minister alongside other BJP leaders as Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the state’s first BJP chief minister at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.
