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Suvendu Adhikari, who twice defeated Mamata Banerjee, will become West Bengal Chief Minister after BJP wins 2026 Assembly polls, ending TMCs 15 year rule.
Suvendu Adhikari (R) with Amit Shah.
Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP leader who defeated Mamata Banerjee twice in high-stakes elections, is now set to become the next Chief Minister of West Bengal after the BJP’s sweeping Assembly election victory.
Adhikari scripted history in the 2026 Assembly elections by winning both the Bhabanipur and Nandigram seats, cementing his reputation as one of Bengal BJP’s most influential faces.
Defeated Mamata Banerjee Twice
In Bhabanipur — long considered Mamata Banerjee’s political fortress — Adhikari defeated the incumbent Chief Minister by 15,105 votes in one of the biggest upsets of the election.
He also retained Nandigram, defeating TMC candidate Pabitra Kar by 9,665 votes. The seat had already made national headlines in 2021 when Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee there for the first time.
With the twin victories, Adhikari became the only politician to defeat Mamata Banerjee in two separate Assembly elections.
| Year | Election Type | Constituency | Party | Outcome | Notable Margin/Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | State Assembly | Bhabanipur | BJP | Won | Defeated Mamata Banerjee by 15,105 votes |
| 2026 | State Assembly | Nandigram | BJP | Won | Defeated Pabitra Kar by 9,665 votes |
| 2021 | State Assembly | Nandigram | BJP | Won | Defeated Mamata Banerjee by 1,956 votes |
| 2016 | State Assembly | Nandigram | TMC | Won | Victory margin of 81,230 votes |
| 2014 | Lok Sabha | Tamluk | TMC | Won | Re-elected as MP |
| 2009 | Lok Sabha | Tamluk | TMC | Won | Defeated CPI(M)’s Lakshman Seth by 1.72 lakh votes |
| 2006 | State Assembly | Kanthi Dakshin | TMC | Won | First entry into West Bengal Assembly |
| 1995 | Local Municipal | Contai | INC | Won | Political debut as councillor |
From TMC Strongman To BJP’s Bengal Face
Adhikari began his political career in local politics before rising through the ranks of the All India Trinamool Congress. He served as MP from Tamluk in 2009 and 2014 and later became West Bengal’s Transport, Irrigation and Water Resources Minister between 2016 and 2020.In 2020, he switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party and emerged as the party’s strongest challenger to the TMC government.
Following the 2021 Assembly elections, he became Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly.
Strong Political Roots
Adhikari comes from a prominent political family in East Midnapore. His father, Sisir Adhikari, served as an MP and Union minister. He first rose to statewide prominence during the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram, which became a turning point in Bengal politics.
BJP’s Historic Bengal Victory
The BJP’s win marks the first time the saffron party is set to form a government in West Bengal, ending the TMC’s 15-year rule.
With the Assembly dissolved and government formation underway, Suvendu Adhikari is expected to take the oath as Chief Minister in the coming days.
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