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BJP ends TMC's 15-year rule in West Bengal
Suvendu Adhikari, a former protégé of outgoing chief minister Mamata Banerjee, was sworn in as West Bengal's new leader on Saturday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 207 of the state's 294 assembly seats, marking its first electoral victory in the region.
From TMC loyalist to BJP's top leader
Adhikari, 56, began his political career in the Congress party before joining Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) during its rise as an anti-Left force. His role in the 2007 Nandigram protests against land acquisition cemented his reputation as a skilled organizer and brought him close to Banerjee.
However, their alliance fractured over time. Adhikari faced allegations in 2016 when videos surfaced showing him allegedly accepting cash in his office. Though he denied wrongdoing, his relationship with the TMC leadership deteriorated, leading to his defection to the BJP in 2020.
A political rivalry defined by controversy
Adhikari's 2021 victory over Banerjee in Nandigram, her former stronghold, established him as her primary rival. In the 2026 election, he defeated her again in Bhabanipur while retaining Nandigram, solidifying his position as the BJP's face in West Bengal.
His political ascent has been marked by polarizing rhetoric. In 2021, the Election Commission issued a notice over a speech where he allegedly referred to Banerjee as "Begum" and linked her to a "mini-Pakistan." Last year, he sparked outrage by vowing to "physically throw Muslim MLAs out of the assembly" if the BJP took power.
Critics have also condemned his claims that medicines distributed at a TMC-run camp could lead to "birth control" among Hindus, labeling the remarks as inflammatory and conspiratorial.
Violence and economic challenges ahead
Adhikari's swearing-in comes amid heightened tensions. On Wednesday, his close aide and personal assistant, Rath, was shot dead in an attack BJP leaders called targeted. Police confirmed the incident but have not identified the assailants.
The new chief minister inherits a state grappling with economic struggles, including low private investment and high youth unemployment. The BJP campaigned on addressing these issues, but Adhikari must now transition from opposition firebrand to administrator.
A state deeply divided
West Bengal's political landscape has grown increasingly polarized under TMC-BJP rivalry, with frequent allegations of intimidation and election-related violence. Adhikari's supporters praise his grassroots appeal, while critics accuse him of deepening divisions.
As chief minister, he faces the challenge of uniting a fractured state while delivering on promises of economic revival and stability.
