Kolkata: As former fashion designer-turned-politician Agnimitra Paul took oath as the lone woman minister in the first BJP govt in West Bengal on Saturday, an emotional moment unfolded quietly in the crowd as her parents watched from afar with tears in their eyes.“The venue was so crowded that we could not even get near the dais. But we had nothing to complain about. My wife and I saw her from a distance and heard her taking the oath and we were both crying. They were tears of joy,” said her father, Ashok Ray, a doctor from Asansol.Hours after the swearing-in ceremony, Paul herself appeared emotional as she walked down from the stage, smiling through tears while acknowledging supporters gathered around her. “It has been a historic day, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. Our party made several promises during the campaign. The time has now come to fulfil every one of those promises. We will work 24 hours and 365 days,” Paul said.Speaking about the state’s new chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, she described him as both a trusted colleague and a close friend, adding that she was happy to work under his leadership.Ray described the occasion as nothing less than a “second independence,” saying the family witnessed firsthand the hard work and relentless campaigning that eventually brought his daughter to the state cabinet.A two-time MLA from Asansol South and BJP’s Bengal vice-president, Paul emerged as one of the party’s most recognisable women faces during the 2026 Assembly elections. She retained her seat by defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Tapas Banerjee by more than 40,000 votes, further strengthening her standing within the party.Before entering active politics in 2019, Paul had already built a successful career in the fashion industry. Founder of designer label “Inga,” she designed costumes for Bollywood actors, including Sridevi and Hema Malini. Her collections, often inspired by Bengal’s traditional Kantha embroidery, were showcased at major fashion events, including Lakme Fashion Week.Raised in a middle-class family in Asansol, Paul studied botany before moving into fashion technology and management. Her rise within the BJP, beginning with the Mahila Morcha, has been swift, with party insiders viewing her elevation as a significant signal on women’s representation in Bengal politics.Her entry into Bollywood received a major breakthrough when Sridevi offered her an opportunity in the 2002 Esha Deol starrer “Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe,” a project that expanded the visibility of her label beyond Bengal and helped establish her nationally among the industry’s emerging fashion designers.
