Suvendu Adhikari: From Mamata loyalist to BJP’s face in Bengal

Suvendu Adhikari has been chosen by the BJP as the leader of its legislative party in West Bengal, positioning him to become the state’s first BJP chief minister. Union home minister Amit Shah said “every proposal was just one name”, referring to Adhikari’s selection, and described the BJP’s victory as a “historic political shift” in Bengal.

Once a key figure in Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, Adhikari built his reputation as a powerful organiser in Purba Medinipur before dramatically switching to the BJP in December 2020 ahead of the 2021 Assembly election.

His political rise, however, has long been accompanied by controversy. His name surfaced repeatedly in connection with the Saradha chit fund scandal, with reports citing a petition by Saradha chief Sudipto Sen accusing him of extortion and of using his influence to benefit the company. Adhikari has consistently dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.

According to a 2026 report, Adhikari currently faces 25 criminal cases, most of them filed after his exit from the TMC. The allegations include criminal intimidation, attempt to murder, rioting, promoting enmity between groups, hateful and casteist remarks, wrongful restraint, and hurting religious sentiments.

His 2021 affidavit reportedly listed only one pending criminal case linked to Narada-related material, but the number of cases increased sharply in later years. That shift strengthened the argument among his supporters that he became the target of intensified legal action after joining the BJP.

Court intervention significantly altered the trajectory of several cases. The Calcutta High Court stayed 26 FIRs against him at one stage and ruled that future complaints would require court approval, effectively slowing police action. Later, reports said 15 FIRs were quashed, while five others were handed over to a Special Investigation Team.

Opponents argued these developments gave Adhikari political protection, while the BJP maintained he was facing a campaign of politically motivated complaints.

Adhikari has also repeatedly drawn criticism over his political rhetoric and campaign style. Rivals have accused him of relying on intimidation and polarising language. One political opponent was quoted as saying, “His politics was based only on threats and intimidation,” while another report cited Adhikari warning Muslim migrants that they would have to “return to BJP states after the vote”.

More recently, he faced criticism after reportedly describing Muslims as “kattarwadi” (extremists) and claiming his political success rested on Hindu support — remarks critics said deepened communal divisions in Bengal.

His departure from the TMC remains one of the party’s most damaging defections in recent years. Deeply embedded in the organisation, Adhikari was seen as someone who understood the party’s local networks, caste equations and electoral machinery from within. Many in the TMC continue to portray his exit not as a routine split, but as a calculated betrayal that weakened the organisation at a crucial political moment.

Another issue that has continued to shadow Adhikari’s public image is the mysterious deaths of several close aides over the years. Before the killing of his confidant Chandranath Rath earlier this week, three of his associates — Pradip Jha in 2013, Subhabrata Chakraborty in 2018, and Pulak Lahiri in 2021 — had also died under controversial circumstances.

While no investigation has conclusively linked the deaths or established a larger conspiracy, the repeated incidents have fuelled political speculation and reinforced the perception of violence surrounding figures close to him.

Taken together, the criminal allegations, legal battles, combative rhetoric, bitter political realignment and recurring controversies have made Adhikari one of the most polarising figures in Bengal politics — even as the BJP now prepares to place him at the centre of its first government in the state.