Nearly two decades after standing beside Mamata Banerjee during the Nandigram movement, Suvendu Adhikari is now preparing to take charge of West Bengal himself.
Suvendu Adhikari is all set to become the new Chief Minister of West Bengal, marking a major political shift as the state prepares to witness its first-ever BJP government. He will take the oath at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground on Saturday morning after being elected leader of the BJP legislative party on Friday.
The BJP’s landslide victory in the 2026 Assembly elections, winning 208 out of 294 seats, has redrawn Bengal’s political map and brought an end to the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule.
Once regarded as one of Mamata Banerjee’s closest political lieutenants, Adhikari eventually became the face of the BJP’s Bengal campaign. His rise to the state’s top post has been shaped by organisational strength, political reinvention and years of high-voltage electoral battles.
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Here are five lesser-known facts about Bengal’s incoming chief minister:
A political heir who built his own turf
Born on December 15, 1970, in Purba Medinipur, Suvendu Adhikari comes from a politically influential family. His father, Sisir Kumar Adhikari, has been a prominent figure in Bengal politics for decades.
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However, Suvendu gradually built an independent political identity through grassroots mobilisation in East Midnapore and surrounding districts. He entered the Assembly in 2006 and later served two terms as a Lok Sabha MP before moving back to state politics.
The ‘all-weather’ leader who expanded TMC’s footprint
Long before joining the BJP, Adhikari was seen as one of the Trinamool Congress’s strongest strategists on the ground.
Within political circles, he earned the tag of an “all-weather, all-terrain” organiser for his ability to strengthen the party in difficult regions. He played a key role in expanding the TMC’s presence in Jangalmahal and later helped the party gain ground in districts such as Malda and Murshidabad.
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Recognising his growing influence, Mamata Banerjee inducted him into the state cabinet and handed him the transport portfolio.
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Exit from TMC that altered Bengal’s political and power equation
Adhikari’s political journey took a dramatic turn in December 2020 when he resigned from the TMC government and joined the BJP.
The move triggered one of the biggest political realignments in Bengal in recent years. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram by 1,956 votes and emerged as the BJP’s principal face in the state, despite the party losing the election overall.
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Over the next few years, he led several aggressive campaigns against the ruling TMC government across Bengal.
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Court battles, allegations and a high-voltage political career
Adhikari’s political career has also remained surrounded by controversy. He was questioned by the CBI in connection with the Saradha chit fund case and was also linked to the Narada sting operation. Adhikari has consistently denied all allegations and maintained that the cases were politically motivated.
He also faced nearly 300 criminal cases over the years. In 2025, the Calcutta High Court quashed 15 of those cases.
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Beyond politics: A sports enthusiast with an academic side
Beyond politics, Adhikari holds a Master of Arts degree from Rabindra Bharati University. He previously served as chairman of the Contai Co-operative Bank and the Vidyasagar Central Co-operative Bank before being removed from those posts after joining the BJP.
Known to be deeply interested in sports, Adhikari closely follows football and cricket and has often been associated with local sporting activities in his home district.
