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Suvendu Adhikari Biography And Political Journey: There are only a few faces in the politics of West Bengal who have completely changed the direction of the corridors of power. There was a time when Suvendu Adhikari was considered the most trusted commander of Mamata Banerjee. But today, in the same arena of politics, Suvendu Adhikari has become the strongest pillar and Chief Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This story is not just about the defection of a politician, but about the rise of a person in the grassroots politics of Bengal who defeated a sitting Chief Minister twice in his own stronghold.

Starting from a strong political family

Suvendu Adhikari, who belongs to a very influential political family of Kanthi area of ​​Purba Medinipur district, is not a new name in politics. His father Sisir Adhikari has been a veteran politician and former Union Minister. Suvendu started his political journey in 1995 by winning the election of councilor from Kanthi Municipality on Congress ticket. When Mamata Banerjee separated from the Congress and formed Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 1998, Suvendu was among the first leaders who supported Mamata.

Nandigram movement which made Suvendu a mass leader

The Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement of 2007 was a turning point in Suvendu Adhikari's political career. He led the 'Land eviction Resistance Committee' and fought a vigorous fight at the grassroots level against the leftist government. This movement not only shook the roots of the 34-year-old Left government in Bengal, but also established Suvendu as a strong leader in the entire state. Due to his popularity, he won the Lok Sabha elections from Tamluk in 2009 and 2014 and later took charge of important ministries like transport and irrigation in the state government.

Disillusionment with TMC and entry into BJP

With time the internal equations within TMC started changing. Due to the increasing influence of Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee in the party, Suvendu Adhikari and other old leaders of the party started feeling sidelined. Due to this dissatisfaction, Suvendu resigned from the state cabinet and the post of MLA at the end of 2020. In December 2020, he formally joined BJP in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. His move gave a deep blow to the organizational structure of TMC.

The biggest 'Giant Killer' (journey from 2021 to 2026)

Suvendu's real strength was visible in the 2021 assembly elections, when he defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself by a margin of 1,956 votes in a tough contest on the Nandigram seat. But the 2026 assembly elections took his political stature to a new level. In 2026, he contested from two seats - Nandigram and Mamata Banerjee's stronghold Bhawanipur - in an unprecedented strategy. The results shocked the entire country; Suvendu won in Nandigram by 9,665 votes, and defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhawanipur by a huge margin of 15,105 votes. In this 2026 election, BJP achieved a historic majority by winning more than 200 seats in the state, the biggest strategic credit for which is being given to Suvendu.

Aggressive opposition leader and ideological clarity

As the leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari continuously cornered the TMC government on the issues of corruption, law and order and infiltration. Recently, when the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was implemented by the Central Government, Suvendu called it a historic step for Bengali Hindu refugees. He clarified that this law is for granting citizenship, not for taking away anyone's citizenship, and accused TMC of spreading confusion on the issue.

Mystery and controversy of affidavit

However, this political journey has not been completely untouched by controversies. Suvendu Adhikari's name was linked to the Saradha Chit Fund and Narada sting operations in the past, although he has not been convicted yet. Additionally, according to the 2026 election affidavit, he has 29 criminal cases registered against him, most of which were registered after he left TMC. His 2026 election affidavit has also revealed a financial secret; While his annual income has increased from Rs 8.13 lakh to Rs 17.38 lakh as of 2020-21, there has been a huge decline in the total value of his declared movable and immovable assets (movable assets have come down from Rs 59.31 lakh to Rs 24.57 lakh).

Suvendu Adhikari's journey from Congress councilor to Trinamool Congress's chief strategist and now BJP's Bengal Chief Minister shows his efficient grassroots connections and leadership abilities. Suvendu, who came out of Purba Medinipur and revolved the politics of entire Bengal around himself, has today become not just a politician but the biggest symbol of change in power.