Hindutva mascot, ex-TMC insider: 5 reasons why BJP chose Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal CM | India News
New Delhi: Subvendu Adhikari’s emergence as the BJP’s choice for chief minister in West Bengal comes after years of positioning himself as the party’s strongest anti-Mamata Banerjee face in the state. From defeating the Trinamool Congress supremo in his home turf to spearheading the BJP’s aggressive Hindutva-driven campaign, Adhikari has steadily emerged as the saffron party’s most powerful leader in Bengal. The BJP’s sweeping victory in the state, winning 207 seats in the 294-member assembly and ending 15 years of TMC rule, further cemented Adhikari’s status within the party. His electoral success, Trinamool influence, Trinamool internal understanding and ability to mobilize anti-Trinamool votes eventually made him the natural choice of the BJP leadership to lead the first government in West Bengal.
Giant Slayer: The man who defeated Mamata twice in her own fort
The biggest reason behind choosing Subvendu Adhikari as the face of BJP’s first government in West Bengal is his stunning victory. Mamata Banerjee In Bhavanipur, a constituency long considered a political stronghold of the Trinamool Congress supremo. Defeating a sitting chief minister on his home turf gave Adhikari unparalleled political weight within the BJP and instantly elevated him as the party’s most powerful leader in the state.A former close aide of Mamata Banerjee who later defected to the BJP, Adhikari emerged as the saffron party’s most aggressive anti-TMC face in Bengal. In the high-stakes Bhavanipur contest, he got 73,917 votes against Mamata Banerjee’s 58,812 votes, defeating her by 15,105 votes in what became a closely watched election battle.The result carries huge symbolic value as Bhavanipur is historically deeply associated with Mamata Banerjee’s political identity. Located in the Kolkata district and part of the Kolkata South parliamentary constituency, the constituency has long been considered one of the Trinamool Congress’s safe havens. After losing Nandigram to Adhikari in the 2021 assembly elections, Mamata returned to the assembly later that year by winning the Bhavanipur by-election by over 65,000 votes.For the BJP leadership, Adhikari’s victory proved that he was capable of directly challenging Mamata Banerjee where the opposition has traditionally fought, not once, but twice.
There is no alternative, at least for now
Although there were a few suitors for the top job, none could come close to the incumbent, at least for now. Although several BJP leaders strengthened their position in the polls, none matched Adhikari’s electoral clout. His victories in both Nandigram and Bhavanipur established him as the party’s strongest anti-trimool face and the leader most capable of directly challenging Mamata Banerjee.Agnimitra Pal retained the Asansol South Assembly seat defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Tapas Banerjee by 40,000 votes, further cementing his position as one of the BJP’s emerging leaders in Bengal. Veteran leader Dilip Ghosh also won the Kharagpur Sadar assembly constituency, reasserting his hold on the party organisation.However, despite the presence of leaders like Paul and Ghosh, the BJP leadership never saw anyone in Bengal who could match Adhikari’s grassroots influence, organizational control and political stature. Although there have been a few contenders for the top spot, none have come close to the incumbent — at least for now.
Internal to the TMC playbook
The BJP also saw Subvendu Adhikari as a leader who understands the Trinamool Congress from the inside, having spent more than two decades in the party before switching sides in 2020.Adhikari started his political career with the Congress and became a councilor of Kanthi Municipality in 1995 before joining the Trinamool Congress in 1998. Over the years, he emerged as one of the party’s most influential grassroots organizers and played a key role in the Nandigram land movement of 2007 that even helped the Mamads against the Left movement. Coming to power in Bengal.He became a Lok Sabha MP from Tamluk in 2009 and held the seat in 2014 before returning to state politics as a Trinamool MLA from Nandigram in 2016 and a cabinet minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. His long association with the TMC has given him deep insight into the party’s organizational structure, electoral strategy and voter network.After leaving the TMC to join the BJP in December 2020, Adhikari quickly became the saffron party’s sharpest weapon against Mamata Banerjee. His victory in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly elections further strengthened his status and eventually led him to become the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal.
Hindutva appeal which is consistent with BJP’s core politics
Another major factor behind Subvendu Adhikari’s rise as the chief ministerial face of the BJP was his ability to mobilize the Hindu vote, a strategy closely aligned with the BJP’s broader political identity and electoral approach in Bengal.After winning both Nandigram and Bhavanipur, Adhikari publicly credited Hindu voters for his victory, especially in Nandigram where he defeated TMC candidate Pavitra Kar by 9,665 votes. “This time I won the election by around ten thousand votes. The Hindu people of Nandigram won me again. There, the entire Muslim vote went to TMC. I will work for the Hindus of Nandigram,” ANI quoted Adhikari as saying a day after the assembly election results.For the BJP leadership, Adhikari’s success strengthened the party’s belief that he could emerge as the central face of Hindu integration in Bengal politics. His aggressive attacks on the TMC, combined with strong messages around ideology and identity politics, resonated with the BJP’s core support base in the state.
A vocal aggressive leader
Subvendu Adhikari’s rise as the BJP’s choice for Chief Minister was also driven by his image as the party’s most vocal and aggressive opposition leader in West Bengal, a politician who consistently took the fight directly to Mamata Banerjee and the TMC politically and ideologically.Throughout the campaign, Adhikari positioned himself as the BJP’s strongest Hindutva voice in the state. From leading a Ram Navami rally in Bhavanipur and calling for a “Ram State” in Bengal to publicly crediting Hindu voters for his victory, he aligned himself closely with the BJP’s core ideological message. He repeatedly attacked the TMC on infiltration, minority appeasement and law and order issues, positioning himself as the face of an aggressive anti-TMC movement.His fighting style became more visible after the election results. The BJP’s landslide victory, winning 207 seats in the 294-member assembly and reducing the TMC to 80 after ruling Bengal for 15 years, further cemented Adhikari’s status as the undisputed face of the party in the state.
