 Summary of this article
- Started with Congress, rose in TMC as Nandigram hero and powerful minister, then switched to BJP in 2020.
- Defeated Mamata Banerjee in 2021, became Leader of Opposition, and led BJP to a historic majority in 2026.
- From TMC insider to Bengal’s first BJP Chief Minister — a journey of strategic shifts and grassroots strength.
Five years ago, Suvendu Adhikari was one of Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted ministers. Today, he is the man who ended her 15-year rule and became Bengal’s first BJP chief minister. He is widely known for three defining elements — his heroic role in Nandigram, his intense political rivalry with Mamata Banerjee, and his dramatic switch from TMC to BJP.
In one of the most stunning political transformations in recent Indian history, Suvendu engineered a dramatic shift from the All India Trinamool Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party in December 2020. Once among Mamata Banerjee’s most powerful and trusted ministers with deep organisational loyalty in Purba Medinipur, his departure marked a turning point that reshaped West Bengal’s destiny.
After weeks of speculation, he resigned from his ministerial posts in November 2020, including the high-profile Transport and Irrigation & Water Resources portfolios, along with Chairman of the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners. On 17 December he quit TMC primary membership. Two days later, on 19 December 2020, he formally joined the BJP at a massive rally in Midnapore alongside Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The move sent tremors across the state and strengthened BJP’s campaign ahead of the 2021 elections. Reports cited deepening internal rifts, especially over the growing prominence of Abhishek Banerjee.
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Suvendu’s political beginnings were humble yet strategic. Born on 15 December 1970 in Karkuli village of Purba Medinipur into a politically active family, he inherited a legacy from his father, veteran leader Sisir Adhikari. In 1995, he entered as a councillor with the Indian National Congress in Kanthi Municipality. In 1998, he and his father joined the newly formed Trinamool Congress, becoming some of its earliest members as Mamata challenged the Left Front.
The year 2006 marked a key milestone. Suvendu won his first Assembly election from Kanthi Dakshin and became Chairman of Kanthi Municipality. However, the fiery events of 2007 truly catapulted him into prominence. He played a frontline role in the historic Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement against the Left Front’s industrial land grab. Leading protests with local villagers, he earned the tag of “Nandigram hero.” Along with Singur, this agitation eroded the CPI(M) government’s authority and laid the foundation for TMC’s 2011 victory, ending 34 years of Left rule.
His rising profile brought bigger responsibilities. Suvendu won the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and retained it in 2014. In 2016, he resigned from Parliament, won from Nandigram, and was appointed Minister of Transport by Mamata Banerjee. He later also handled Irrigation and Water Resources. As Transport Minister, he pushed modernisation initiatives like electric buses and better connectivity. Between 2016 and 2020, he emerged as one of the most influential TMC leaders after Mamata, controlling party affairs across several southern districts.
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