Suvendu Adhikari (born 15 December 1970) is an Indian politician who has served asLeader of the Opposition and Leader of theWest Bengal unit ofBharatiya Janata Party since May 2021. Adhikari previously worked in the state ministry for theWest Bengal government from 2016 to 2020. He was electedMember of Legislative Assembly (MLA) forNandigram in 2016 and 2021, previously forSouth Contai in 2005, andMember of Parliament (MP) forTamluk in 2009, and 2014.[4]
He previously served as the Minister of Transport from 2016 to 2020, Irrigation and Water resource from 2018 to 2020 in theGovernment of West Bengal. He was also a member ofLok Sabha fromTamluk from 2009 to 2016 and the chairperson ofJute Corporation of India from 2020 to 2021. He was a former member of theTrinamool Congress from 1998 to 2020 andIndian National Congress from 1995 to 1998. He is the son ofSisir Adhikari, Member of Parliament and former Union Minister of State for Rural Development in theManmohan Singh government.[5][6][7][8][9]
Adhikari was born on 15 December 1970 toSisir Adhikari and Gayatri Adhikari at Karkuli inPurba Medinipur district inWest Bengal. Sisir Adhikari is a politician, and formerMinister of State inSecond Manmohan Singh ministry and was elected to theLok Sabha fromKanthi constituency in 2019.[10][11] Adhikari is unmarried.[12]
One of Suvendu's brothers, Soumendu, was the chairman of theKanthi municipal corporation, now elected from Kathi Lok Sabha constituency in 18th Lok Sabha.[11]Dibyendu Adhikari, elected to Lok Sabha in 2019 fromTamluk constituency, is also his brother.
Adhikari received aMaster of Arts degree fromNetaji Subhas Open University.[10]
Adhikari was first elected as a councillor fromIndian National Congress in theKanthi Municipality in 1995.[13] In 2006, Adhikari was elected to theWest Bengal Legislative Assembly fromKanthi 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 theNandigram. He led theBhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee. The rulingLeft Front government in West Bengal planned to acquire 10,000 acres of land in the village to set up aspecial economic zone.[14][15][16] This movement catapultedMamata Banerjee to the centre-stage of Bengali politics.[16] The stateCID 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 theJangal Mahal i.e.Paschim Medinipur,Purulia andBankura districts. He was successful in expanding the party's base in these districts.[16] In 2009, he was elected to theLok Sabha from theTamluk constituency.[19] He defeated his nearest rivalLakshman Seth ofCommunist Party of India (Marxist) by a margin of approximately 173,000 votes.[20]
In the2016 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 theSecond Mamata Banerjee ministry on 27 May 2016.[22] Adhikari resigned from the post of chairman ofHooghly 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 joinedBharatiya Janata Party in presence of Home MinisterAmit Shah.[28][29]
He defeated the sitting chief minister of West BengalMamata Banerjee inNandigram assembly seat in2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election by 1,956 votes.[30] Mamata Banerjee has filed an election petition inCalcutta High Court challenging the verdict of Nandigram.[4]
On 10 May, Union MinisterRavi Shankar Prasad announced Suvendu Adhikari as leader of the BJP legislature party in the West Bengal assembly.[31]
Suvendu Adhikari has advocated for stricter measures against illegal infiltration inWest Bengal and has emphasised the distinction between Indian Muslims and foreign infiltrators, such asRohingya Muslims. On 25 October 2025, he stated that theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not againstIndian Muslims; their target is Rohingya infiltrators,[35] and he accused theTrinamool 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 inBihar, he claimed that there are up to 90 lakh fake voters in Bengal.[37]
Adhikari has campaigned for the implementation of theCitizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to grant citizenship to persecutedHindu 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 andanti-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'sSpecial 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]
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 theCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with evidence concerning Chief MinisterMamata 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 MinisterNarendra 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 theNational 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 theEnforcement 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]
 | This"criticism" or "controversy" sectionmay compromise the article'sneutrality. Please helpintegrate negative information into other sections or removeundue focus on minor aspects throughdiscussion on thetalk page.(January 2026) |
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]
Adhikari has been linked to theNarada sting operation case. The case originated from a 2014 sting operation conducted byMathew Samuel, in which several TMC leaders, including Adhikari, were allegedly filmed acceptingcash 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]
In November 2024, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) filed a complaint with theElection 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 inMurshidabad 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 2023Ram 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][65]
In July 2025, following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call for a visit toJammu & Kashmir, Adhikari advised against travelling to Muslim-majority areas.[68][69] 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.[70] 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]
In December 2025, Adhikari made a series of controversial statements targeting Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commission in Kolkata amid heightened India–Bangladesh tensions. On 23 December, Adhikari warned that he would not allow the Bangladeshi Deputy High Commission to “function smoothly on Indian soil” if he was denied a meeting with the envoy, citing concerns overThe lynching of Dipu Das in Bangladesh, and threatened larger mobilisation from 26 December.[71] On 28 December, during a protest at the mission, Adhikari escalated his rhetoric, calling for a “lesson” similar toIsrael’s military campaign in Gaza or India’sOperation Sindoor against Pakistan. His comments drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress, which described them as hate speech and a call for mass violence, while party leaders, including MPSagarika Ghose, accused him of communal polarisation.[72][73]
