Adhikari Suvendu

Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is contesting the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections from two constituencies — Nandigram, where he is a two-time MLA, and Bhabanipur.

The Bhabanipur contest is being framed as one of the most high-profile battles of the election, with Adhikari taking on Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on her home turf, a seat she has held since 2011.

Adhikari’s political journey is closely tied to the rise of the Trinamool Congress. Once a key aide to Mamata Banerjee, he played a central role in the 2007 Nandigram movement that propelled the party to power. He later switched to the BJP ahead of the 2021 polls and has since emerged as one of the party’s most prominent voices against the state government.

In Nandigram, his political base remains strong. He won the seat in 2016 on a TMC ticket with a margin of over 81,000 votes and retained it in 2021 as a BJP candidate, defeating Mamata Banerjee by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes in a closely watched contest. This time, he faces a challenge from former aide Pabitra Kar, adding a personal dimension to the battle.

The Adhikari family continues to hold significant influence in Purba Medinipur politics. Led by patriarch Sisir Adhikari, the family has maintained a strong presence in the region even after shifting from the TMC to the BJP in 2021.

With contests in both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, Adhikari is at the centre of two of the most closely watched electoral battles in West Bengal this year.

Candidate Info: Adhikari Suvendu is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate contesting from Bhabanipur (General) Assembly constituency for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. This male candidate is 57 years of age, according to the election affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India.