Suvendu Adhikari: From Mamata's Trusted Aide to Bengal's First BJP CM

The oath of office was administered by Governor RN Ravi at a grand swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers and senior BJP leaders.

Calling it the beginning of a new chapter for the state, Adhikari said the "Sonar Bangla" era had officially begun after the BJP's sweeping victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

The rise of Suvendu Adhikari to the Chief Minister's office marks the culmination of a political journey spanning more than three decades, during which he evolved from a grassroots Congress worker in coastal Bengal to one of the most influential political leaders in eastern India.

Born on December 15, 1970, in Karkuli village of Purba Medinipur district, Adhikari hails from the influential Adhikari family of Kanthi (Contai), known for its participation in India's freedom struggle. His father, Sisir Adhikari, served as a Union Minister of State in the Manmohan Singh government and represented Kanthi in Parliament.

Family elders Bipin Adhikari and Kenaram Adhikari were active nationalists during British rule and reportedly suffered imprisonment and repeated attacks from colonial authorities.

Adhikari began his political career with the Indian National Congress in the mid-1990s and was elected as a councillor in Kanthi Municipality in 1995. He later joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after Mamata Banerjee formed the party in 1998 and quickly emerged as one of its strongest organisational leaders in rural Bengal.

Over the years, Adhikari has built extensive legislative and administrative experience. He served as a three-time councillor and Chairman of Kanthi Municipality before being elected MLA from Kanthi Dakshin in 2006. In 2009 and 2014, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tamluk constituency, where he consolidated his political hold over East Midnapore and adjoining regions.

Adhikari's political stature rose dramatically during the 2007 Nandigram movement against land acquisition by the then Left Front government. As the leader of the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee, he spearheaded protests against the proposed Special Economic Zone project. The agitation became a turning point in Bengal politics and played a major role in weakening the Left Front's three-decade-long rule.

His prominence within the TMC grew after the Nandigram movement, with Mamata Banerjee assigning him responsibility for strengthening the party in the Jangalmahal region comprising Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia districts.

In the Mamata Banerjee-led government, Adhikari handled key portfolios including Transport and Irrigation and Waterways between 2016 and 2020. He was also Chairman of the Haldia Development Authority for over a decade, during which he played an important role in the industrial and infrastructural development of Haldia.

However, tensions between Adhikari and the TMC leadership escalated in 2020 amid growing differences with Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee. In November and December that year, Adhikari resigned from ministerial and party posts before formally joining the BJP on December 19, 2020, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

His switch to the BJP dramatically altered Bengal's political landscape. In the 2021 Assembly elections, Adhikari contested from Nandigram and defeated then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes in one of the most high-profile electoral contests in recent Indian politics. Following the elections, he became the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and emerged as the BJP's principal face in the state.

In the 2026 Assembly elections, Adhikari contested from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, the latter previously represented by Mamata Banerjee, and won both seats decisively. His victory in Bhabanipur over the outgoing Chief Minister was viewed as a symbolic turning point in Bengal politics. The BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, ending the TMC's 15-year rule and bringing the saffron party to power in the state for the first time.

Following the victory, Adhikari credited Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh voters for the BJP's success, while stating that Muslim votes had largely gone to the opposition alliance.

Days before the election results, tragedy struck Adhikari's camp when his close aide and personal assistant Chandranath Rath was shot dead by unidentified assailants on the night of May 6, 2026.

On May 8, Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially announced Adhikari as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party in West Bengal. Shortly afterwards, Adhikari met Governor RN Ravi to stake claim to form the government.

- ANI