KOLKATA: After registering a second high-profile victory over Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee since 2021, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is increasingly being seen within BJP circles as a leading contender for the chief minister’s post in West Bengal.
The chatter about Adhikari has gained traction following remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP’s principal strategist in the state, who told rally audiences that Bengal would get a “Bengali, highly educated leader with roots in Bengali-medium education” as chief minister if the party comes to power.
Within the state BJP, a section of leaders believes Adhikari fits that description most closely. Party insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, point to his sustained political campaign against the Trinamool Congress since his switch from the ruling party in 2020, as well as his electoral record against Banerjee.
They say that Adhikari not only defeated Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly polls but has now secured another victory over her from Bhabanipur, her political stronghold, with a margin exceeding 15,000 votes. However, the leadership question remains open. Other names circulating within party discussions include Swapan Dasgupta, who won from Rashbehari, and Sanjib Sanyal, a noted economist from Nadia district.
Party sources indicate that while Dasgupta brings political and intellectual heft, Sanyal would need to secure an electoral mandate before being considered for the top post. For now, Adhikari’s growing stature keeps him firmly in the spotlight as BJP comes power in West Bengal for the first time.