Suvendu Adhikari

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Suvendu Adhikari
Shri Suvendu Adhikari BJP.jpg
Suvendu Adhikari in 2024
Leader of the Opposition, West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 May 2021
Relatives Dibyendu Adhikari (brother)
Soumendu Adhikari (brother)
Residence(s) Contai, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal
Alma mater Netaji Subhas Open University (M.A.)
Profession Politician

Suvendu Adhikari (born 15 December 1970) is an Indian politician who has served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the West Bengal unit of Bharatiya Janata Party since May 2021. Adhikari previously worked in the state ministry for the West Bengal government from 2016 to 2020. He was elected Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Nandigram in 2016 and 2021, previously for South Contai in 2005, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamluk in 2009, and 2014. [4]

Contents

He previously served as the Minister of Transport from 2016 to 2020, Irrigation and Water resource from 2018 to 2020 in the Government of West Bengal. He was also a member of Lok Sabha from Tamluk from 2009 to 2016 and the chairperson of Jute Corporation of India from 2020 to 2021. He was a former member of the Trinamool Congress from 1998 to 2020 and Indian National Congress from 1995 to 1998. He is the son of Sisir Adhikari, Member of Parliament and former Union Minister of State for Rural Development in the Manmohan Singh government. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Early life and education

Adhikari was born on 15 December 1970 to Sisir Adhikari and Gayatri Adhikari at Karkuli in Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal. Sisir Adhikari is a politician, and former Minister of State in Second Manmohan Singh ministry and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kanthi constituency in 2019. [10] [11] Adhikari is unmarried. [12]

One of Suvendu's brothers, Soumendu, was the chairman of the Kanthi municipal corporation , now elected from Kathi Lok Sabha constituency in 18th Lok Sabha. [11] Dibyendu Adhikari, elected to Lok Sabha in 2019 from Tamluk constituency, is also his brother.

Adhikari received a Master of Arts degree from Netaji Subhas Open University. [10]

Early political career

Adhikari was first elected as a councillor from Indian National Congress in the Kanthi Municipality in 1995. [13] In 2006, Adhikari was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Kanthi Dakshin constituency. He also became the chairman of Kanthi Municipality in the same year. [10]

In 2007, Adhikari spearheaded the anti-land-acquisition movement in the Nandigram. He led the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee. The ruling Left Front government in West Bengal planned to acquire 10,000 acres of land in the village to set up a special economic zone. [14] [15] [16] This movement catapulted Mamata Banerjee to the centre-stage of Bengali politics. [16] The state CID alleged that Adhikari had supplied arms to the Maoists to wage an armed movement against the state government. [17] [18]

After Adhikari's success in Nandigram, Banerjee made him the party's observer (in-charge) of the Jangal Mahal i.e. Paschim Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura districts. He was successful in expanding the party's base in these districts. [16] In 2009, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tamluk constituency. [19] He defeated his nearest rival Lakshman Seth of Communist Party of India (Marxist) by a margin of approximately 173,000 votes. [20]

In the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Adhikari was pitted against Abdul Kadir Sheikh of the Left Front - Indian National Congress alliance in Nandigram constituency. [15] After getting elected, he resigned as an MP from Tamluk constituency. [21] He was sworn in as the Minister of Transport in the Second Mamata Banerjee ministry on 27 May 2016. [22] Adhikari resigned from the post of chairman of Hooghly River Bridge Commission (HRBC), a statutory body under the Government of West Bengal on 26 November 2020. [23] He also resigned as West Bengal Transport Minister on 27 November 2020. [24] He had tendered his resignation to the speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly as MLA on 16 December 2020 which was not accepted by the speaker initially on grounds of technicality. However, it was eventually accepted on 21 December 2020. [25] On 17 December 2020 he resigned from the primary membership of All India Trinamool Congress. [26] [27]

On 19 December 2020, he joined Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of Home Minister Amit Shah. [28] [29]

2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election

He defeated the sitting chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram assembly seat in 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election by 1,956 votes. [30] Mamata Banerjee has filed an election petition in Calcutta High Court challenging the verdict of Nandigram. [4]

On 10 May, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad announced Suvendu Adhikari as leader of the BJP legislature party in the West Bengal assembly. [31]

Electoral history

Policy stance and achievements

Stance on infiltration, CAA, and minority outreach

Suvendu Adhikari has advocated for stricter measures against illegal infiltration in West Bengal and has emphasised the distinction between Indian Muslims and foreign infiltrators, such as Rohingya Muslims. On 25 October 2025, he stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not against Indian Muslims; their target is Rohingya infiltrators, [35] and he accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of assisting in their settlement with fake documents. [36] He claimed that the TMC's policy has facilitated the inclusion of such infiltrators in the voter lists, and based on the proportion of 30 lakh fake voters identified in Bihar, he claimed that there are up to 90 lakh fake voters in Bengal. [37]

Adhikari has campaigned for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindu refugees from Bangladesh and has emphasised outreach to certain communities, such as the Matuas. On 25 October 2025, he urged Bangladeshi Hindu refugees in West Bengal to apply for citizenship at CAA awareness camps. [38] During the 2024 unrest in Bangladesh, he warned of up to 1 crore Hindu refugees fleeing to West Bengal, called for the state to be prepared, and cited the CAA's provisions for non-Muslim refugees who entered from neighbouring countries before 31 December 2014. [39] [40]

Particularly in the context of the 2024-2025 political instability and anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh, Adhikari has linked the concern of infiltration to the need for greater border security, claiming that West Bengal's demographic change is accelerating. He has demanded increased surveillance at the border to prevent the entry of uncontrolled refugees, organised protests near the India-Bangladesh border, and threatened to impose trade sanctions if attacks on Hindus continue, [41] as he stated in his rallies on 5 December 2024, and 12 November 2024. [42] Regarding minority outreach, on 17 October 2025, he assured Indian Muslims that the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list would only target Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators, not any valid citizens, and that the SIR is part of an effort to purify the electoral rolls without affecting the native population. [43] [44]

Efforts against corruption and post-poll violence

Adhikari has been pursuing investigations into West Bengal's chit fund scandals, alleging the involvement of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership and the state administration. In July 2023, he publicly offered to supply the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with evidence concerning Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's involvement in the Sarada scam, while simultaneously criticising the agency's hesitation in interrogating high-ranking officials. [45] Earlier, in March 2023, he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi questioning the CBI's reluctance to take action against high-placed individuals accused in the decade-old Sarada case, and called for decisive steps to dismantle state-level protection rackets. [46] In a separate letter to the CBI Director that same month, he highlighted delays in the investigation of multiple chit fund operations, alleging that the accused, including TMC personalities, had influenced the probe even from custody. [47]

Following the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results on 2 May 2021, Adhikari compiled documentation of the post-election violence, including videos and affidavits detailing attacks on BJP workers that began on 3 May. In May 2021, he filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court, annexing evidence of targeted attacks, property destruction, and displacement across various districts, which led to judicial monitoring and orders for registering FIRs. [48] As a result of these efforts, in July 2021, amid the government's denial of retaliatory violence against opposition supporters, the High Court issued a mandatory directive compelling the state to register cases for all reported incidents and to cooperate with the National Human Rights Commission's investigation. [49] [50] The evidence Adhikari submitted was cited in subsequent petitions, including appeals that reached the Supreme Court. [51]

Adhikari has consistently advocated for the operational independence of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI, and has condemned alleged TMC-driven obstructions in investigations related to corruption and violence. He has highlighted recoveries made by the CBI in TMC-related cases, such as the April 2024 Sandeshkhali raid which uncovered weaponry linked to the assault on ED staff, presenting these as evidence of systematic protection by the ruling party. [52] In assembly speeches and public statements, he has pushed for unhindered central investigations into the TMC's administrative failures, calling the autonomy of these agencies essential for eradicating entrenched corruption without state interference. [53]

Controversies

Involvement in the Saradha Chit Fund Scam

Suvendu Adhikari, who served as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and Transport Minister in West Bengal in the early 2010s, came under the investigation of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Saradha Group's Ponzi scheme. The scheme's collapse in April 2013 resulted in lakhs of investors being defrauded of an estimated ₹25,000 crore. [54] The CBI, entrusted with the scam's investigation by a Supreme Court directive, interrogated Adhikari on 24 September 2014 regarding his alleged collusion in providing potential benefits to the group through his party-approved media and events. [54] Although Adhikari's name emerged among several TMC leaders identified by the investigators, he was not directly named in any specific chargesheet for criminal conspiracy or cheating under the relevant sections of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act. [55]

In December 2020, Sudipta Sen, the arrested chairman of the Saradha Group, filed a petition alleging that Adhikari had extorted money from him and used his influence to promote the scheme. In June 2022, the TMC demanded his arrest. [56] [57] Adhikari rejected these claims as baseless, calling them politically motivated in the backdrop of his rift with the TMC leadership, and called upon the CBI to investigate Sen's sworn statement, citing his cooperation during previous interrogations. He claimed that the allegations were baseless and had been timed specifically to tarnish him, following his joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2020. [57]

The Saradha investigation implicated several TMC leaders, including the arrests of MPs Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose. As of October 2025, no charges against Adhikari have been proven (conviction). [58] [59] The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are continuing their investigations into Saradha-related assets and links amid significant delays in justice for the victims. [58]

Narada Sting Operation Case

Adhikari has been linked to the Narada sting operation case. The case originated from a 2014 sting operation conducted by Mathew Samuel, in which several TMC leaders, including Adhikari, were allegedly filmed accepting cash bribes from a company in exchange for promised favours. While Adhikari denied the allegations and questioned the authenticity of the footage, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched investigations into the matter. In 2021, after Adhikari's defection to the BJP, the probe attracted renewed attention due to the political implications and ongoing legal proceedings. The case remains under investigation. [60] [61] [62]

Communal Remarks

In November 2024, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India, claiming that Suvendu Adhikari had violated the Model Code of Conduct by making communal remarks in speeches delivered before the bypolls, thereby promoting division along religious lines. [63] [64]

Adhikari's comments have often surfaced in the context of reports of communal violence. For instance, during clashes over a Waqf property dispute in Murshidabad district in April 2025, he claimed that targeted attacks and the destruction of property valued at over ₹100 crore had displaced more than 400 Hindus from their homes. [65] [66] He attributed such incidents, as well as the deaths and arrests resulting from the previous 2023 Ram Navami procession riots, to lapses in law enforcement driven by vote-bank considerations. Supporters, including BJP (BJP) allies, have framed these comments as evidence-based warnings regarding challenges to solidarity and security risks, citing police reports of stone-pelting and arson during the Murshidabad events as experiential justification rather than as provocations. [67] [68]

In July 2025, following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call for a visit to Jammu & Kashmir, Adhikari advised against travelling to Muslim-majority areas. [69] [70] The TMC alleged this was a calculated provocation intended to incite fear and communal disharmony. The ruling TMC has consistently portrayed such remarks as divisive rhetoric aimed at securing electoral advantage. [71] A resolution has been passed in the Legislative Assembly condemning Adhikari for other comments, including those made in March 2025 targeting Muslim TMC MLAs. Adhikari has countered that his observations reflect documented risks arising from demographic changes and uncontrolled violence, and he has defended them as protected speech concerning public safety. No case has proceeded based on any FIR filed as a result of these specific allegations, and observers have often viewed the TMC's complaints as politically motivated and timely actions amidst the ongoing hostilities. [63]

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ Podder, Debasish (31 December 2020). "জুট কর্পোরেশন অফ ইন্ডিয়ার চেয়ারম্যান হচ্ছেন শুভেন্দু অধিকারী, নতুন বছরেই নিয়োগ". Hindustan Times (in Bengali). Retrieved 31 December 2020.
    2. ↑ "BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari likely to step down as Chairperson of Jute Corporation of India". ANI News. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    3. 1 2 "CM Banerjee to retain transport portfolio following Suvendu Adhikari's resignation". NDTV . 28 November 2020.
    4. 1 2 Manral, Karan (17 June 2021). "Mamata Banerjee challenges Suvendu Adhikari's Nandigram win in Calcutta High Court". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    5. ↑ Bhattacharya, Ravik (23 September 2012). "Had no work, say former TMC ministers in UPA govt". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    6. ↑ "Suvendu Adhikari -Profile". Archived from the original on 29 October 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
    7. ↑ "Election Commission of India". results.eci.gov.in. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
    8. ↑ "Nandigram Election Result 2021 LIVE: Nandigram MLA Election Result & Vote Share - Oneindia". OneIndia. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    9. ↑ "Nandigram Assembly Election Results 2021 LIVE - Nandigram Vidhan Sabha Election Results". Times Now. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    10. 1 2 3 "Adhikari, Shri Suvendu". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
    11. 1 2 Bhattacharya, Kajari (31 March 2018). "Nandigram: Trinamool's stronghold, one family's stranglehold". Asianet Newsable. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
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    14. ↑ Sarkar, Arindam (26 April 2007). "Mamata promises to marry off raped girls of Nandigram". Hindustan Times . Retrieved 27 April 2019.
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    18. ↑ "Trinamool MP accused of supplying ammo to Naxalites". India Today . 16 July 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
    19. ↑ "In Contai, it's family first for Trinamool's Sisir Adhikary". Indian Express . 5 November 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
    20. ↑ "Nandigram swings two seats in East Midnapore in Trinamool's favour". Indian Express 17 May 2009. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
    21. ↑ "Dibyendu Adhikari to contest from Tamluk parliament constituency". India Today . 17 October 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
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    25. ↑ Sanyal, Anindita (16 December 2020). "Trinamool's Suvendu Adhikari Quits As MLA Amid Reports He Will Join BJP". NDTV. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
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    27. ↑ Phadikar, Anshuman (6 July 2021). "Suvendu Adhikari meets victims of post-poll violence in East Midnapore". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
    28. ↑ "অমিত শাহের হাত ধরে বিজেপিতে যোগদান করলেন শুভেন্দু অধিকারী সহ ৯ জন বিধায়ক". Bangla Hunt (in Bengali). 19 December 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    29. ↑ "Suvendu Adhikari ends all speculation, joins BJP, delivers jolt to Mamata and TMC". India Today. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    30. ↑ "Nandigram election result 2021: Suvendu Adhikari beats Mamata by 1,736 votes". The Times of India. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    31. ↑ "Suvendu Adhikari Elected Opposition Leader In West Bengal Assembly". NDTV. PTI. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    32. ↑ "जानिए कौन हैं शुभेंदु अधिकारी, जिन्होंने ममता को दिया जोर का झटका; कभी उनकी सरकार में थे नंबर 2". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Hindi). 16 December 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
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    34. 1 2 "Mamata Banerjee Loses To Suvendu Adhikari In Nandigram, Will Go To Court". NDTV. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    35. ↑ "Press Trust Of India". Press Trust Of India. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    36. ↑ "TMC 'helping' Rohingya infiltrators to settle in Bengal: Suvendu". Hindustan Times. 25 October 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    37. ↑ "If Bihar has 30 lakh fake voters, Bengal will have 90 lakh: BJP". Inshorts - Stay Informed. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    38. ↑ Som, Moyurie (25 October 2025). "West Bengal BJP urges Bangladeshi Hindu refugees to apply for citizenship under CAA ahead of 2026 polls". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    39. ↑ "Bangladesh Unrest: 1 Crore Hindu refugees will come to West Bengal, says Suvendu Adhikari". The Economic Times. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    40. ↑ Mitra, Atri; Bhattacharya, Ravik (6 August 2024). "Bangladesh crisis: As Bengal BJP stirs talk of '1 cr refugees', CAA, cautious TMC govt appeals for calm". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    41. ↑ "Bengal LoP threatens trade embargo on Bangladesh if attacks on Hindus don't stop". The Times of India. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    42. ↑ "BJP's Suvendu says will stage protest at border if attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh don't stop". Deccan Herald. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    43. ↑ "SIR will lead to deletion of names of only Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators: Suvendu Adhikari". Moneycontrol. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    44. ↑ "Press Trust Of India". Press Trust Of India. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    45. ↑ "Will give proof of Mamata's involvement to CBI: Suvendu". The Indian Express. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
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    47. ↑ "LOP Suvendu Adhikari writes to CBI Director over slow investigation in Saradha Scam". ANI News. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    48. ↑ "Write Petition (Supreme Court of India)" (PDF). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
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    51. ↑ "SUVENDU ADHIKARI AND ANR. v. STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS., Calcutta High Court, Judgment, Law, casemine.com". www.casemine.com. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    52. ↑ Gupta, Shobhit (27 April 2024). "'Arrest Mamata, declare TMC a terror outfit', demands BJP leader after CBI searches at premises of Sandeshkhali accused". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    53. ↑ "Entire TMC is corrupt, claims BJP's Suvendu Adhikari; Trinamool hits back". Deccan Herald. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    54. 1 2 "Saradha scam: CBI questions TMC MP Suvendu Adhikari". BusinessLine. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    55. ↑ Mondal, Dibyendu (22 May 2021). "Seven years on, CBI still silent on Saradha chit fund scam". The Sunday Guardian Live. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    56. ↑ "Saradha Scam Accused Alleges BJP Leader Took Money, Trinamool Seeks Action". www.ndtv.com. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    57. 1 2 "Suvendu urges CBI to probe Saradha accused's allegations against him". The Indian Express. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    58. 1 2 "11 years on, Bengal's Saradha chit fund victims await justice amid LS polls corruption discourse". The New Indian Express. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    59. ↑ Tiwary, Deeptiman (4 April 2024). "Since 2014, 25 Opposition leaders facing corruption probe crossed over to BJP, 23 of them got reprieve". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    60. ↑ "ED files charges in Narada case. TMC: Why protect BJP's Suvendu Adhikari?". The Times of India. 2 September 2021. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 16 June 2025.
    61. ↑ "The Sting in Full". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
    62. ↑ "Why PM sharing stage with Suvendu who is accused in Narada case: TMC hits back on corruption charge". The Economic Times. 2 March 2024. ISSN   0013-0389 . Retrieved 16 June 2025.
    63. 1 2 "TMC alleges Suvendu Adhikari 'made communal remarks' in poll-bound area, complains to ECI". The Indian Express. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    64. ↑ Mishra, Anupam (11 November 2024). "Trinamool accuses Suvendu Adhikari of hate speech, complains to poll body". India Today. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    65. ↑ "West Bengal Waqf protests: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari claims Hindus 'forced to flee' Murshidabad amid violence". The Times of India. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    66. ↑ Mitra, Atri (14 April 2025). "BJP and TMC allege 'outsiders' instigated violence at Murshidabad". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    67. ↑ Bhattacharya, Ravik; Mitra, Atri (3 April 2025). "Ram Navami days away, why there is an air of disquiet in Bengal". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    68. ↑ "West Bengal Waqf protests: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari claims Hindus 'forced to flee' Murshidabad amid violence". The Times of India. 13 April 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    69. ↑ "Suvendu Adhikari's call for avoiding Muslim-majority areas stokes row in West Bengal". Hindustan Times. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    70. ↑ "'Don't go to places where Muslims are majority': BJP's Suvendu Adhikari sparks outrage with communal remarks; TMC slams 'provocation'". The Times of India. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
    71. ↑ "Resolution passed in Bengal assembly against BJP's Suvendu over remarks on TMC MLAs". Deccan Herald. 13 March 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
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