West Bengal to Implement Uniform Civil Code, Says CM Suvendu Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the state government would implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by following the prescribed legal process, similar to the approach adopted by Gujarat and Assam.

Speaking on the sidelines of a government programme marking the 189th birth anniversary of literary icon Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay at College Street in north Kolkata, Adhikari said the government would proceed with the UCC in accordance with established legal procedures.

"There is a procedure for UCC implementation, and we will adhere to that. This will be similar to Gujarat and Assam," he said, referring to the states that have initiated legislative and administrative measures towards a Uniform Civil Code governing matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance.

The BJP government in West Bengal is expected to introduce the UCC Bill in the Assembly on Monday during the ongoing Budget session, ahead of the six-month timeline the party had committed to before the 2026 Assembly elections, according to a source in the Adhikari-led cabinet.

The proposal was discussed and finalised at a Business Advisory Committee meeting held in the Assembly on Thursday evening, the source said.

If introduced, the legislation would mark one of the state's most significant legal and social policy initiatives in recent years, with the BJP projecting the UCC as both a key governance commitment and a major reform agenda.

Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, the BJP had promised in its manifesto to implement the UCC within six months of assuming office. The commitment was prominently reiterated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah while releasing the party's 'Sankalp Patra' in April.

"Several states, including Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, have already implemented the UCC proposals. Bengal will now also implement it in line with other BJP-ruled states as we had promised ahead of the elections," a minister in the Adhikari cabinet said.

Earlier in the day, Adhikari paid floral tributes to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of Vande Mataram. He also announced that the state government would establish a national-level Vande Mataram museum as part of the celebrations commemorating the song's 150th anniversary.