Suvendu Adhikari began his poltical career with the Congress and was elected councillor of Kanthi Municipality in 1995. He was born into a powerful political family in East Midnapore. In 1998, his family joined Mamata Banerjee after she floated the Trinamool Congress. His father Sishir Ashikari served as a three-term MP and was Union Minister of State for Rural Development during the UPA-2 government. Suvendu Adhikari himself served two terms as MP during UPA-1 and UPA-2.
One of the earliest turning points in Adhikari’s political journey came during the 2007 Nandigram land acquisition protests in West Bengal. As a leading face of the agitation against the then Left Front government, Adhikari gained statewide prominence. The Nandigram movement significantly weakened the Left’s rural base and strengthened the rise of Mamata Banerjee’s and All India Trinamool Congress.
Eventually, he emerged as one of Trinamool Congress strongest organisers in southern Bengal and Jangal Mahal. He was elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Tamluk in 2009 and later joined the state cabinet as Transport Minister after the 2016 Assembly elctions. His growing organisational influence helped the TMC expand its base in several rural regions of the state.
Suvendu Adhikari was once seen as a potential heir to the TMC after Mamata Banerjee, having helped the TMC rise to power to end the Left Front’s 34-year reign in Bengal. Following a bitter fallout, Adhikari became one of Banerjee’s fiercest political rivals and vowed to topple the TMC regime.
In December 2020, Suvendu Adhikari quit the Trinamool Congress and joined the BJP amid tensions within the then ruling party. His decision gave the BJP a powerful Bengali face ahead of the 2021 Assembly election and significantly boosted the party’s campaign in the state.
The 2021 Assembly Election became another defining chapter in Adhikari’s career after he defeated Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile Nandigram contest. With this victory, he strengthened his position within the BJP. He was later appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
The 2026 Assembly Election marked the biggest breakthrough of his political career. With the BJP securing a historic victory in the state, Suvendu 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.
