After twin wins, Adhikari to drop one seat; BJP to decide which

Kolkata: Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her Bhabanipur seat while retaining Nandigram in one of Bengal’s most politically significant electoral victories, on Wednesday said he would vacate one of the two constituencies within 10 days, leaving the final decision on which seat to retain to the party’s leadership.

Standing in Nandigram, which he often describes as his political “bhadrasan” (citadel), Adhikari struck a careful balance between sentiment and party discipline, signalling both his emotional attachment to the constituency in Purba Medinipur district and the political significance of his victory in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur.

“I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which one I retain. Whatever my personal opinion may be, I will convey that to the leadership. I will not forget my responsibility towards the people of Bhabanipur and Nandigram,” he told supporters.

The statement came amid intense speculation over whether Adhikari would retain Nandigram, the epicentre of the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement that transformed him into a mass leader, or hold on to Bhabanipur, where he handed Banerjee a stunning defeat in what had long been considered her safest political pocket borough.

The two victories carry sharply different political meanings for Adhikari.

Nandigram’s anti-land acquisition movement against the then Left Front government eventually paved the way for the TMC’s rise to power in 2011.

At that time, Adhikari was among Mamata Banerjee’s closest political lieutenants and key organisers on the ground, handling mobilisation in Nandigram and adjoining areas while Banerjee spearheaded the movement at the state level.

The movement not only dismantled the Left Front’s 34-year rule but also transformed Adhikari from a regional organiser into one of the most influential political figures in coastal Bengal.

It was from the larger Tamluk region, of which Nandigram is a part, that Adhikari first entered Parliament. In 2021, months after joining the BJP, he had defeated Banerjee from Nandigram in a fiercely fought contest that dramatically altered Bengal’s political equations.

Over the years, Adhikari has continued to treat Nandigram as the emotional and political anchor of his career, routinely visiting the constituency during key anniversaries linked to the anti-land acquisition movement and major religious occasions.

But Bhabanipur has opened a different political chapter for the former TMC leader. His victory over Banerjee by more than 15,000 votes in the south Kolkata constituency on Monday punctured the aura around the TMC supremo’s home turf and handed the BJP a massive psychological breakthrough alongside its sweeping electoral victory in the state.

For the BJP, Adhikari’s victory in Bhabanipur went beyond electoral arithmetic. A leader from Purba Medinipur defeating Banerjee in her own political neighbourhood became one of the defining images of the BJP’s breakthrough in Bengal.

Reflecting that balancing act, Adhikari repeatedly thanked the voters of Bhabanipur during his address in Nandigram and assured supporters in both constituencies that he would continue discharging his responsibilities irrespective of which seat he formally retained.

“Whether formally or otherwise, I will fulfil my duty towards both constituencies,” he said.

As Adhikari addressed gatherings in Reyapara, Haripur and other parts of Nandigram on Wednesday morning, supporters repeatedly shouted slogans urging him not to leave the constituency.

“Don’t leave us,” some supporters were heard telling him during the interaction.

The BJP leader, however, used the occasion to underline organisational discipline.

“I have been disciplined since childhood. Everything cannot be decided alone. I will repay your debt. Please remain assured,” he told supporters, indicating that the final decision would rest with the BJP high command.

Invoking the political transition underway in Bengal, Adhikari said, “I was part of the 2011 ‘poribartan’ (change), and now I am part of the real change,” drawing a contrast between the TMC’s rise to power in 2011 and the BJP’s ascent in 2026.

Addressing party workers and supporters, Adhikari also urged them not to take out immediate victory processions. and instead maintain restraint till the swearing-in ceremony of the new government on May 9.

State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has announced that the oath-taking ceremony of the BJP’s first government in West Bengal will be held at Brigade Parade Ground on May 9.

Adhikari also invoked memories of BJP workers allegedly killed in political violence during the TMC regime and said legal action would be pursued against those responsible for attacks on party cadres.

Offering prayers to a Lord Hanuman statue in Nandigram, Adhikari projected confidence about the BJP’s long-term future in the state.

“We will work in such a way that the BJP government in Bengal stays for 100 years,” he said, adding that the party would seek to raise its vote share from the current 46 per cent to 60 per cent in future elections.

He also promised an improved drinking water supply and better hospital and educational infrastructure for Nandigram residents.