Economist Sanjeev Sanyal Bengal’s Next Finance Minister?

With West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari relinquishing his Nandigram seat and taking oath as the MLA from Bhawanipore seat, speculation has intensified who will hold the state’s most crucial portfolio, finance.  For quite some time in the social media the name of economist Sanjeev Sanyal has been doing the rounds. A member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council, Sanyal is widely known for his work in international economics and policy making. He has also been associated with global institutions and forums such as the G7 and the OECD. Party insiders claim that Sanyal’s name had earlier been discussed even for the CM’s post. However, the BJP’s central leadership ultimately chose Adhikari, citing his role as the face of the anti-Trinamool movement and his organisational influence in Bengal politics. If Sanyal is inducted into the cabinet, he would need to become an MLA and Nandigram seems the safe option. Currently serving as Chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune, Sanyal previously worked with Deutsche Bank. After joining the Union Finance Ministry in 2017 as Principal Economic Adviser, he played a significant role in preparing several economic surveys and policy frameworks. He has consistently advocated industrial growth, infrastructure expansion, port-led development, urban modernisation, and ease of doing business reforms. A BJP-linked economist mentioned that Sanyal combines strong Bengali roots with a global economic outlook, where he could play a transformative role in Bengal’s revival through industrial growth. However, Sanyal remains a polarising figure, while supporters view him as a visionary reformer, critics have questioned some of his interpretations of history and his perceived ideological proximity to Hindutva narratives. Looks like the Modi government is looking for a figure capable of tackling Bengal’s long-period of industrial stagnation.