Who is Suvendu Adhikari, BJP's giant-killer set to take oath as West Bengal CM

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]"Bengal will shake you out of power."

[00:00:02]BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had thundered as a warning to Trinamool Congress leader and then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a rally in East Midnapore in November last year. At that time, many saw it as routine political rhetoric. Six months later, however, those words appear prophetic. On Friday, Adhikari was elected leader of the BJP legislature party, making him the next Chief Minister of West Bengal.

[00:00:31]He will be sworn in on Saturday in Kolkata, ending 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule in the state. He will take oath on Saturday, an event which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders and Chief Ministers of the BJP.

[00:00:48]Adhikari has also served as the leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, and during TMC rule, he had also served as the Transport Minister.

[00:00:57]Mamata Banerjee's fiercest political rival has now taken over the state's top post.

[00:01:04]Adhikari emerged as the defining figure of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, leading the BJP to 207 victories in the 293-seat assembly. The Trinamool Congress managed only 80.

[00:01:17]He also delivered a personal political blow by defeating Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur while winning from two constituencies himself.

[00:01:26]This is the second time Adhikari has defeated Mamata Banerjee electorally.

[00:01:30]In the 2021 assembly elections, he defeated her in Nandigram by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes. Mamata Banerjee later returned as Chief Minister after winning the Bhabanipur by-poll six months later.

[00:01:45]Now, Adhikari is set to become West Bengal's first BJP Chief Minister. His political journey has also come full circle in just a span of six years. Once considered Mamata Banerjee's right-hand man, Adhikari played a crucial role in strengthening the Trinamool Congress at the grassroots level. He was also one of the main faces behind the 2007 Nandigram land agitation that helped bring an end to the Left Front's 34-year rule in West Bengal. By 2011, Mamata Banerjee had risen to power with Adhikari among her closest political associates. But, the alliance eventually collapsed. In 2020, Adhikari left the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP after reported differences with Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. Within the BJP, Adhikari quickly established himself as a powerful organizational figure for a party that is considered a cadre-based one. Party leaders describe him as aggressive, strategic, but deeply connected to grassroots workers.

[00:02:50]Many BJP leaders consider him the party's most combative face in Bengal.

[00:02:54]One widely discussed incident took place during a roadshow in Howrah's Bali constituency where TMC workers disrupted Adhikari's rally. BJP leaders claim Adhikari became visibly angry during the confrontation and had to be restrained by security personnel. Supporters argue that his aggressive political style helped him directly counter the Trinamool Congress. Born in December 1970 into an influential political family in Contai, East Midnapore, Suvendu Adhikari grew up surrounded by politics. His father, Sisir Adhikari, was a Congress veteran who later joined the Trinamool Congress. Adhikari also studied political science at Vidyasagar University before entering active politics. When Mamata Banerjee left Congress in 1998 to form the Trinamool Congress, the Adhikari family joined her movement. Years later, Suvendu Adhikari became the man leading the BJP's challenge against her. BJP leaders credit Adhikari's grassroots presence and organizational skills as major reasons behind the party's rise in Bengal over a period of time. After setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 assembly polls, the BJP focused heavily on local outreach and strengthening its network across the state. This time, the strategy worked.

[00:04:14]From Mamata Banerjee's trusted ally to her biggest political rival, Suvendu Adhikari's rise has reshaped West Bengal politics. Now attention turns to what he does next as Chief Minister. This is Neelam Pandey reporting for The Print.