Suvendu Adhikari

Entry into politics and initial years

Adhikari was first elected as a councillor from Indian National Congress in the Kanthi Municipality in 1995.^[16] In 2006, Adhikari was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Kanthi Dakshin constituency. He also became the Chairman of Kanthi Municipality in the same year.^[11]

Nandigram movement and rise within Trinamool Congress

In 2007, Adhikari spearheaded the anti-land acquisition movement in the Nandigram. He led the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee. The ruling Left Front government in West Bengal planned to acquire 10,000 acres of land in the village to set up a special economic zone.^[17][18][19] This movement catapulted Mamata Banerjee to the centre-stage of Bengali politics.^[19] The state CID alleged that Adhikari had supplied arms to the Maoists to wage an armed movement against the state government.^[20][21]

After Adhikari's success in Nandigram, Banerjee made him the party's observer (in-charge) of the Jangal Mahal i.e. Paschim Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura districts. He was successful in expanding the party's base in these districts.^[19] In 2009, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tamluk constituency.^[22] He defeated his nearest rival Lakshman Seth of Communist Party of India (Marxist) by a margin of approximately 173,000 votes.^[23]

In the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Adhikari was pitted against Abdul Kadir Sheikh of the Left Front – Indian National Congress alliance in Nandigram constituency.^[18] After getting elected, he resigned as an MP from Tamluk constituency.^[24] He was sworn in as the Minister of Transport in the Second Mamata Banerjee ministry on 27 May 2016.^[25]

Entry into Bharatiya Janata Party and 2021 elections

Adhikari stepped down from the post of chairman of Hooghly River Bridge Commission (HRBC), a statutory body under the Government of West Bengal on 26 November 2020.^[26] He also resigned as West Bengal Transport Minister on 27 November 2020.^[27] He had tendered his resignation to the speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly as MLA on 16 December 2020 which was not accepted by the speaker initially on grounds of technicality. However, it was eventually accepted on 21 December 2020.^[28] On 17 December 2020 he resigned from the primary membership of All India Trinamool Congress.^[29][30]

On 19 December 2020, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of Home Minister Amit Shah.^[31][32] Adhikari's defection was reportedly caused due his rivalry with Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who was being groomed as her heir-apparent.^[33] His influence in Trinamool Congress led to further defections, and many of his followers joined the BJP later.^[34]

He defeated the sitting chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram assembly seat in 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election by 1,956 votes. Mamata Banerjee has filed an election petition in Calcutta High Court challenging the verdict of Nandigram.^{[5][needs update]}

Legislative opposition

BJP legislators under his leadership repeatedly protested inside the Assembly over allegations relating to political violence, corruption, law and order, recruitment irregularities, and communal tensions.^[37][38][39] During the 17th assembly, Adhikari along with many other opposition legislators were suspended from Assembly sessions.^[40][41] His addresses in the Assembly also frequently accused the Mamata Banerjee-led administration of authoritarianism and partisan governance.

Response to post-poll violence

After the conclusion of the 2021 elections, large scale violence took place across West Bengal, and numerous BJP workers and volunteers were targeted. During this time, Adhikari emerged as one of the principal opposition voices regarding the incidents of alleged post-poll violence reported from several parts of the state.^[42][43] He also played a significant role in documenting complaints related to the violence and supported legal petitions seeking judicial intervention.^[44][45] Adhikari demanded investigations by central agencies and sought compensation and rehabilitation for affected party workers.^[46][47] The Calcutta High Court subsequently ordered investigations into several incidents linked to post-poll violence and even constituted a court-monitored process in certain cases.^[48][49] He led a delegation of the violence affected victims to meet the Governor, however, he was blocked by the state administration.^[50] Adhikari organised visits to affected districts and offered relief money for the damages during the violence.^[51][52]

Sandeshkhali agitation

Adhikari has been a major opposition voice concerning the unrest and allegations of atrocities in Sandeshkhali and become became the face of BJP's campaign over the unrest.^[53][36][54] Through press conferences, Assembly protests, social media campaigns, and visits to affected areas, he consistently highlighted allegations made by local residents; bringing national political attention to Sandeshkhali. He repeatedly attempted to visit the affected region, leading to confrontations with the police and the state administration. On several occasions he was detained while travelling to the area.^[55][56] Later, after intervention by the Calcutta High Court, Adhikari was permitted to visit Sandeshkhali. Specifically, he was allowed to visit two areas in Sandeshkhali, namely, Jeliapara and Halderpara.^[57] During his visit, he and his fellow legislator Sankar Ghosh met local residents and women protesters who narrated alleged experiences of intimidation and abuse. After the visit, he described the situation as “horrific” and an example of “complete lawlessness”.^[58][59] Later, he arranged BJP membership drive in Sandeshkhali, and criticised dominance of minorities while urging for "Hindu Unity".^[60]

2024 Indian general election

Among the BJP leaders in Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari emerged as one of the central figures of the party's campaign in 2024 Indian general election in West Bengal.^[61] Adhikari's regional network played an important role in maintaining the BJP's strength in parts of East Midnapore during the election.^[62][63] According to reports from The Statesman, BJP had given Adhikari a “free hand” during the Lok Sabha campaign, and he had major influence over candidate selection and campaign management in multiple constituencies.^[64][65] However, after the result, the BJP was reduced to 12 seats; 6 less compared to its 2019 performance. Many leaders within the BJP targeted Adhikari's approach, and his interference in the candidate selection.^[66][67] Adhikari, however, alleged that electoral irregularities and “false voting” had affected the party's prospects in several constituencies.^[68]

Abhaya agitation

2026 elections

In 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections, Suvendu simultaneously contested in both Nandigram as well as Bhabanipur, the seat held by outgoing CM Mamata Banerjee and won both by a spectacular margin. The last time when an incumbent CM was defeated on their own seat by a person contesting in 2 seats was in 1967, when Ajoy Mukherjee of Bangla Congress defeated the then CM Prafulla Chandra Sen of the Congress party in his Arambag seat while retaining his own Tamluk seat.^[69]

After his 2026 election win, Suvendu Adhikari claimed support came mainly from Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh voters, not Muslim voters. He said Muslim votes largely went to the opposition, highlighting religious voting patterns.^[70]

On the night of 6 May 2026, assailants on bikes shot dead Chandranath Rath who was Suvendu's personal assistant .^[71]

General administration

On 23 Jun under His leadership state finance minister announced Kolkata, Basirhat, Sundarbans, Jangipur, Arambag To Be Five New Districts^[81] for better administrative reform. Districts will be craved out from North 24 Parganas district, South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Hooghly district respectively.

Industrialisation

On 11 July, Shuvendu Adhikari lays the foundation of ₹600-crore Lux Cozi garment hub in Bengal, in this ceremony State Ministers Tapas Roy, Arjun Singh, Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee, and Bharatiya Janta Party State president Samik Bhattacharya Rajya member and were also present at the event. ^[82]

On 17 July, He laid the foundation stone of Shyam Steel's 15,000 crore extension project of a steel plant at Mejia in Bankura district, some 200 km from Kolkata.^[83]

In his term as the chief minister, Adhikari allotted land to Amul (officially Anand Milk Union Limited) for building the largest curd production unit in Sankrail, Howrah,^[84] where Amul is said to be investing 700 crore rupees. On 19 July, home minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of the plant as the chief guest.^[85]

Immigration and the CAA

Suvendu Adhikari has advocated for stricter measures against illegal immigration in West Bengal. On 25 October 2025, he claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not against Indian Muslims; rather, they wished to deport Rohingya Muslim refugees, whom he called "infiltrators".^[86] He has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of assisting in the settlement of these refugees using fake documents and facilitating their inclusion in voter lists. He claimed that there were 90 lakh "fake voters" in Bengal.^[87][88]

Particularly in the wake of the political instability in Bangladesh and anti-Hindu violence there in 2024 and 2025, Adhikari has linked the concern over immigration of Bangladeshi Muslims to the need for greater border security, claiming that the Hindu-majority West Bengal's demographic change was being accelerated by illegal immigration of Muslims. He has demanded increased surveillance at the border to prevent what he deems uncontrolled immigration, organised protests near the India-Bangladesh border, and threatened to impose trade sanctions if attacks on Hindus continued.^[89][90] On 17 October 2025, he assured Indian Muslims that the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list would only target "Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators", not any valid citizens, and that the SIR is part of an effort to purify the electoral rolls without affecting the native population.^[91][92]

Adhikari campaigned for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindu refugees from Bangladesh. On 25 October 2025, he urged Bangladeshi Hindu refugees in West Bengal to apply for citizenship at CAA awareness camps.^[93] During the 2024 unrest in Bangladesh, he warned of up to 1 crore Hindu refugees fleeing to West Bengal, called for the state to be prepared, and cited the CAA's provisions for non-Muslim refugees who entered from neighbouring countries before 31 December 2014.^[94][95]

Bangladesh

Suvendu Adhikari has frequently made statements concerning violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and India Bangladesh relations. In December 2025, he warned that he would disrupt the functioning of Bangladesh's Deputy High Commission in Kolkata over the lynching of Dipu Das in Bangladesh.^[96] During a later protest, he said that if the violence against Hindus did not stop, India's Hindus would be "teaching a lesson" to Bangladesh as Israel had done to Gaza and India had done to Pakistan. This drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress, which called the speech a "bloodthirsty call for mass murder and ethnic cleansing".^[97][98]

In 2024, the TMC accused Suvendu Adhikari of making communal remarks before bypolls and complained to the Election Commission.^[99][100] During the 2025 Murshidabad violence, Adhikari alleged attacks on Hindus and criticised law enforcement.^{[101][102][103]} In 2025, he also drew criticism for advising against travel to Muslim-majority areas.^{[104][105][106]}

Corruption

Adhikari has accused the TMC of large-scale corruption.^[107]

Post-poll violence

Following the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results on 2 May 2021, Adhikari compiled documentation of the post-election violence, including videos and affidavits detailing attacks on BJP workers that began on 3 May. In May 2021, he filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court, annexing evidence of targeted attacks, property destruction, and displacement across various districts, which led to judicial monitoring and orders for registering FIRs.^[117] As a result of these efforts, in July 2021, amid the government's denial of retaliatory violence against opposition supporters, the High Court issued a mandatory directive compelling the state to register cases for all reported incidents and to cooperate with the National Human Rights Commission's investigation.^[118][119]