The Council of Ministers are elected by the citizens of West Bengal in the general elections of the state that is held after every five years. Anyone who is above eighteen years of age and is the permanent resident of the state is authorized to vote for the candidate of his or her choice. The MLA's or the Members of the Legislative Assembly unanimously chose their leader as the Chief Minister of the State. The Chief Minister, then assigns the various important portfolios to the various members who form the Council of Members. The other elected members are appointed as the Minister of State.
At present the Council of Minister of West Bengal is headed by Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who is the Chief Minister of the state. He is assisted by several other ministers who guide the Chief Minister in deciding on important matters affecting the state. Some of the notable members of the Council of Ministers of West Bengal are:
- Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who is the leader of the ruling party and the Chief Minister of West Bengal
- Dr. Asim Kr. Dasgupta who is in charge of the Ministry of Finance and Excise
- Sri Ashok Bhattacharya who is in charge of Ministry of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs
- Sri Kshiti Goswami who is in charge of Ministry of Public Works Department
- Sri Sudharshan Roy Choudhury who is in charge of Ministry of Higher Educational
The Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the leader forms the backbone of the administration of West Bengal.