Suvendu Adhikari Is BJP's Indisputable Hero In Mamata Banerjee's Bengal

The announcement is loud and clear. Suvendu Adhikari is the BJP's indisputable hero in West Bengal, a fortress that he helped breach and reshaped the face of politics on the eastern front.

Adhikari defeated a chief minister who once ended a 34-year Left rule and whose portrait adorns walls across the state.

But he isn't just another giant-slayer. He defeated Mamata Banerjee before and knows how it feels. But rarely does one thunder inside a veteran leader's fortress and get such a roaring success. That's what makes his Bhabanipur victory more spectacular, more special.

Though the BJP hasn't given any indication, Adhikari has clearly emerged as a frontrunner for the chief minister's post in a state that had remained elusive to the BJP for decades.

Turning Against The General

Adhikari was a deserving lieutenant of a fiery Banerjee, who steered her political career through the streets of Bengal to become the chief minister. In her struggle, Adhikari was a constant. He was her biggest force in Nandigram, the centre of a massive protest against land acquisition during the CPM-era. He led the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (Committee Against Land Evictions), which was at the forefront of the Nandigram agitation.

When he decided he would quit the Trinamool, he ensured he would always be on the ground. From leading protests to maintaining grassroots contact, he was the BJP's biggest acquisition back in 2020.

Read: Suvendu Adhikari, The Student Who One-Upped The Master, And Is Trying Again

Coming from a powerful political family whose influence spanned across Purba Medinipur, he also knew the game well. His father, Sisir Adhikari, was a Union minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet.

In the Trinamool, Adhikari had been an MLA from Contai South and Nandigram, and then a Lok Sabha MP from Tamluk. He later returned to Bengal to become a minister in Banerjee's cabinet.

Adhikari was ambitious. Differences emerged between him and the party after he found his power diminishing with the rise of Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee in Trinamool. The Trinamool tried to placate him, but in vain. Adhikari quit the party in 2020 and joined the BJP.

The Nandigram Victory

Nandigram is special to Mamata Banerjee. It is where she had led a successful campaign in 2007 to stop a chemical hub project backed by the then Left Front government. Confident that she would score points for her decisive role in the 2007 agitation, he jumped into a contest against Adhikari in 2021 to prove that Nandigram backed her.

Nandigram didn't elect Banerjee. Adhikari won by a margin of less than 2,000 votes. Failing to secure a seat, the chief minister had to contest a by-election to return as a Member of the Assembly.

Read: 6 Reasons Why Mamata Banerjee Lost Bhabanipur To BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

But his project was still incomplete. The BJP made inroads into the state but failed to defeat Trinamool. Both parties saw an increase in seats. Then there was a wait for five more years for the next election.

The Bhabanipur Challenge

The 2026 election was very different from 2021. The BJP has become a stronger force. It's more committed than ever. But Adhikari was a step ahead. He knew Bhabanipur would be different from Nandigram, but still decided to go for it. The stakes were higher, but he knew the rewards were better. He campaigned against Banerjee in Bhabanipur and across the state, trying to consolidate Hindu votes.

The results were clear. Adhikari didn't just win. He won in Banerjee's hometurf by a margin bigger than Nandigram last time. He won by over 15,000 votes, shows EC data.

Adhikari Widens His Scope

Adhikari knows he has the state to himself. He has defeated Bengal's strongest contender, a three-time chief minister, not once but twice. In his victories, reflect his defiance and courage. He knew that the stakes were high. But he went for it. That being done and dusted, he is aware it's time to widen his scope.

Among what were his first remarks on the counting day, the 55-year-old took potshots at some of the country's biggest opposition leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. There was a warning, too, for the Samajwadi Party's chief, Akhilesh Yadav.

"Mamata (Banerjee), Tejashwi (Yadav), Rahul (Gandhi) finished, Akhilesh (Yadav) is next," he said, referring to the BJP's biggest challenger when Uttar Pradesh goes to polls next year.