From Trusted Lieutenant To Fierce Rival: Suvendu Adhikari And Mamata Banerjee’s Political Fallout

Last Updated:May 08, 2026, 17:26 IST

Suvendu played a key role in mobilising protests against the then CPI(M)-led Left Front government, helping Mamata Banerjee and the TMC gain momentum across Bengal.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has been named as next Chief Minister of West Bengal, marking a dramatic political rise shaped by mass movements, party shifts and high-stakes electoral battles.

Adhikari was once considered one of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s closest and most trusted political aides in West Bengal. Today, he has emerged as her fiercest rival and one of the BJP’s strongest faces in the state.

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Adhikari’s rise in politics began with his influential family in East Midnapore, but it was the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement that turned him into a major political figure. He played a key role in mobilising protests against the then CPI(M)-led Left Front government, helping Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress gain momentum across Bengal.

His role in Nandigram earned him the image of the “Hero of Nandigram" and helped strengthen the TMC’s base in several districts. Impressed by his performance, Mamata Banerjee handed him major responsibilities within the party and later gave him important ministerial portfolios after the TMC came to power in 2011.

Over the years, Adhikari became one of the most powerful leaders in the Trinamool Congress after Mamata Banerjee herself. He won elections from Tamluk and Nandigram and was credited with expanding the party’s influence in key regions of the state.

However, cracks in the relationship between Mamata Banerjee and the Adhikari family started appearing around 2019.

Read More: From Nandigram To Nabanna: Turning Points That Made Suvendu Adhikari Bengal’s New Chief Minister

As per political observers, one of the major reasons was the rapid rise of Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee within the party. Suvendu Adhikari reportedly felt sidelined as the power structure inside the TMC began changing.

In December 2020, Suvendu Adhikari quit the TMC and joined the BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, marking a dramatic political shift in Bengal politics. Soon after, several members of the Adhikari family also moved closer to the BJP.

The rivalry reached its peak in the 2021 Assembly elections when Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram by a narrow margin. Though the TMC retained power in the state, the defeat carried huge symbolic significance. Adhikari repeated the feat in the 2026 elections, once again defeating Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur.

Defeating Mamata Banerjee once in Nandigram was seismic. Doing it twice, across two elections- 2021 and 2026- cemented his image as the only leader capable of directly challenging her dominance. These victories were not just electoral; they carried psychological weight, puncturing the aura of invincibility around the Trinamool supremo.

Read More: Will Mamata Attend BJP CM Suvendu Adhikari Swearing-In Tomorrow? Here’s What Protocol Says

What sets Adhikari apart is his street-fighter persona. Unlike many BJP imports, he did not remain confined to strategy rooms. He was visible on the ground leading protests, mobilising cadres, and navigating a hostile political terrain marked by violence and multiple cases filed against him, many of which he has consistently termed politically motivated.

The 2026 Assembly election marked the biggest breakthrough of his political career. With the BJP securing a historic victory in West Bengal, Adhikari emerged as the party’s leading choice for the Chief Minister’s post as the BJP legislature party prepared to formally elect its leader.

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