The ruling Trinamool Congress has roped in a close aide of Suvendu Adhikari from the BJP ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026.
Pabitra Kar, once considered a loyalist of Adhikari, now faces his former mentor in a high-stakes electoral battle.
Trinamool fielded him as its candidate in the politically charged Nandigram assembly constituency in Purba Medinipur district.
Bengal votes in two phases: April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
Who is Pabitra Kar?
Pabitra Kar is a former panchayat pradhan of Boyal-1 gram panchayat in Nandigram-2 block of Purba Medinipur district.
He was originally a member of the TMC and a close aide of Suvendu Adhikari, who played a key role in the party's rise in Nandigram during the 2007-2008 agitation.
In November 2020, Kar left Trinamool to join BJP, shortly before Adhikari also resigned from the party in December 2020.
During his time with the BJP, Kar served as vice-president of the party's Tamluk district organisation. He played a key role in consolidating the BJP's organisational structure in the Boyal-1 area and was considered instrumental in helping Adhikari secure a narrow victory over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by 1,956 votes in Nandigram during the 2021 assembly elections.
Pabitra Kar's wife won the last panchayat elections on a BJP ticket and currently serves as head of Boyal-2 Gram Panchayat.
What Pabitra Kar Said
Kar rejoined the TMC in the presence of Abhishek Banerjee, hours before the party's candidate list was announced.
He said, “I have left the BJP and joined the TMC. I am confident of winning by around 30,000 votes because of the party's strength and the trust people have in us. My candidacy was announced on the day I joined, and the results will be clear on May 4.”
Nandigram, West Bengal: On Contesting the Assembly Elections from the Nandigram Constituency Seat, TMC Candidate Pabitra Kar says, "On todays' date from the BJP I have come to the Trinamool. Obviously, we will win by 30,000 votes. We have that sort of party, trust, confidence.… pic.twitter.com/QjxJ8Ks4e5
— IANS (@ians_india) March 17, 2026
Kar said that he returned to TMC because he was disillusioned with the BJP and its policies.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
