How Suvendu Adhikari Went From TMC Loyalist To Ending Mamata’s Rule

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.

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.

Yet fault lines were widening. After Mukul Roy’s exit to BJP in 2017, Suvendu had briefly become the party’s top second-rung leader. Growing discomfort with internal dynamics and the perceived dynastic tilt towards Abhishek Banerjee led to irreconcilable differences. His 2020 exit carried a substantial cadre base and regional influence, significantly boosting BJP’s organisational strength in Bengal.

The 2021 Assembly elections tested his new loyalty immediately. Contesting from Nandigram on a BJP ticket, Suvendu defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by a narrow margin of around 1,956 votes. Though BJP won 77 seats and became the principal opposition, he was chosen as Leader of Opposition. Over the next five years, he ran a sharp campaign against TMC on issues of governance, corruption, and violence while expanding the party’s booth-level presence.

This sustained effort delivered results in the 2026 Assembly elections. Leading BJP’s campaign, Suvendu defeated Mamata Banerjee again, contesting from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur. BJP secured a historic majority of about 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, ending TMC’s rule. On 8 May 2026, he was elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party. The next day, 9 May 2026, Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal — the first from BJP — at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, with top national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.

From a young Congress municipal councillor to a key architect of TMC’s rise, a powerful minister, and finally the leader who dethroned TMC through BJP, Suvendu Adhikari’s journey reflects bold transitions, strong grassroots connect, and sharp political timing. His story remains one of the most compelling political arcs in contemporary India.