Suvendu Adhikari, once among Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted lieutenants, has emerged as one of her fiercest political challengers in West Bengal. Now 57, Adhikari serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and is a key face of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.
His political journey began in the Indian National Congress in 1995, before he moved to the Trinamool Congress in 1998, playing a crucial role in strengthening the party at the grassroots. He rose to prominence during the Nandigram movement, where he led protests against land acquisition and headed the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee. His work during the agitation cemented his image as a “Bhumiputra” leader in the Medinipur region.
Adhikari’s electoral record is significant. He has been elected MLA from Kanthi Dakshin and Nandigram, and twice served as MP from Tamluk in 2009 and 2014. He also held a ministerial position in the West Bengal government between 2016 and 2020.
However, Adhikari's equation with Mamata soured amid internal shifts within the TMC, particularly with the rise of Abhishek Banerjee. In December 2020, Adhikari crossed over to the BJP, marking a turning point in Bengal politics.
In 2021, he delivered a symbolic blow by defeating Banerjee in Nandigram by over 1,900 votes. In 2026, he has upped the ante further, taking the fight directly to Banerjee’s home turf in Bhabanipur, setting the stage for a high-stakes political showdown.
Newly sworn-in West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who is in the national capital for his first official visit since assuming office, met President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He will also meet Prime Minister Modi later today.
A political row has erupted in West Bengal after the Suvendu Adhikari-led government made the recitation of Vande Mataram compulsory in madrasas and schools.
The West Bengal government has issued a formal notification making it mandatory to sing the national song before classes begin across all state-run and state-aided madrassas.
The big talking point of this episode of News Today is the fuel prices hike. Another fuel jolt for the common man as petrol and diesel prices were once again hiked across the country.
Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan has withdrawn from the upcoming repolling in the Falta constituency, scheduled for May 21.
Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has decided to retain the Bhabanipur assembly constituency while vacating the Nandigram seat.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate examination has been cancelled following a widespread paper leak, prompting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Yogi Adityanath on Saturday presented a saffron gamcha to Suvendu Adhikari, shortly after the latter took oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal. The crowd also erupted into a loud cheer as the scene unfolded at the swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata. This was at least the second such instance in recent weeks when the duo's bonhomie was witnessed publicly. Earlier, during the election campaign in the state, a powerful scene was witnessed when Adhikari bowed down at the feet of the UP Chief Minister as a mark of respect.
The political landscape of West Bengal witnesses a major transition as the newly appointed Chief Minister takes the oath of office and secrecy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hugged and honoured 98-year-old Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the earliest and senior most members of the BJP. The scene unfolded on the stage ahead of Suvendu Adhikari's swearing-in as West Bengal's Chief Minister in Kolkata. PM Modi also touched Sarkar's feet and presented a shawl to him as a mark of respect. In 1952, Sarkar was arrested in Kashmir while he was accompanying Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee as the latter was marching to hoist the tricolour there. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya described the elderly party leader as "one of the earliest grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India."
This India Today special broadcast covers significant political shifts following the latest assembly election results in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari will be sworn in as the next Chief Minister of West Bengal in Kolkata tomorrow.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday took a dig at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over her defeat to Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur. He said this time Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee on her home turf.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday announced Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal's chief minister, days after BJP registered a historic victory in the state in assembly elections.
Following the BJP's victory in the West Bengal assembly elections, Amit Shah is scheduled to chair an MLA meeting to finalise the state leadership. Suvendu Adhikari has emerged as the frontrunner for the Chief Minister position.
In Tamil Nadu, actor-politician Vijay’s TVK faces a political standoff as Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar demands proof of a 118-seat majority before government formation.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's aide was shot at point-blank range near Kolkata on Wednesday. The BJP alleged a targeted political revenge killing by the Trinamool Congress, while the TMC denied involvement and sought a CBI investigation.
A day after BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's aide Chandranath Rath was shot dead near Kolkata, India Today has accessed exclusive CCTV footage that shows two unmasked men on a motorcycle chasing his vehicle.
A political war has erupted as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann alleged BJP's involvement in twin blasts in Punjab, while the saffron party leaders criticised the state government for its handling of cross-border threats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a historic victory in the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, winning 206 seats and ending the fifteen-year rule of the Trinamool Congress.
