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Adhikari first toppled Mamata Banerjee in the fiercely contested Nandigram seat in 2021. Five years later, he repeated the feat in Bhabanipur, Banerjee’s political stronghold
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. (Image: PTI)
In West Bengal’s high-stakes 2026 election, Suvendu Adhikari has done what no challenger had managed in recent political memory—defeat an incumbent chief minister not once, but twice, in back-to-back elections.
From Nandigram To Bhabanipur: A Rare Double Strike
Adhikari first toppled Mamata Banerjee in the fiercely contested Nandigram seat in 2021. Five years later, he repeated the feat—this time in Bhabanipur, Banerjee’s political stronghold—winning by a margin of over 15,000 votes.
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The Bhabanipur verdict was particularly symbolic. It was not just another seat; it was Banerjee’s home turf and political refuge. Her defeat here marked a dramatic reversal of fortune in a constituency she had long dominated.
Scripting History
By winning both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, Adhikari has effectively scripted history. Instances of a leader defeating a sitting chief minister twice in successive elections are extremely rare in Indian politics. His 2026 performance, contesting and winning from two constituencies, including that of the incumbent chief minister, places him in a league of his own.
Commenting on his win from Bhabanipur, Adhikari called it “Mamata Banerjee’s retirement from politics” and claimed that different communities came together in his favour.
From Protégé To Principal Challenger
What makes the story even more compelling is the personal-political arc. Adhikari was once a key lieutenant in Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, instrumental in movements like Nandigram that helped bring her to power. His defection to the BJP in 2020 transformed that relationship into one of the most high-voltage rivalries in Indian politics.
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Since then, every electoral clash between the two has carried outsized political meaning—none more so than the twin defeats he has now inflicted.
Adhikari’s victories are not isolated upsets, they coincide with a broader political shift. The BJP’s strong performance in the 2026 elections, breaching long-standing TMC dominance, has amplified the significance of his personal wins, The Economic Times reported.
In Nandigram, he consolidated his hold with another decisive victory, reinforcing his status as the BJP’s most potent face in Bengal.
The Bhabanipur result has cemented Adhikari’s image as a “giant slayer”, a tag first earned in 2021 and now reinforced in 2026. But this time, it carries greater weight. Defeating a sitting chief minister once can be called an upset. Doing it twice, across two elections and two constituencies, turns it into a political milestone.
With Banerjee’s defeat and the shifting political arithmetic in the state, Adhikari is no longer just a challenger; he is now at the centre of Bengal’s power conversation. His back-to-back victories over an incumbent chief minister may well be remembered as the moment Bengal’s political axis began to tilt decisively.
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