Senior BJP leaders are flocking to West Bengal to name the party’s first Chief Minister in the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to fly to Kolkata on Thursday, and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has stepped in to oversee the selection of his West Bengal counterpart. A guessing game is on as to who could be the next Bengal chief minister.
Some claim that it would be befitting that only a woman takes over from outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They see BJP MLA-elects Agnimitra Paul or Rupa Ganguly replacing Mamata. A few other names doing the rounds are BJP state chief Samik Bhattacharya and his predecessor Dilip Ghosh. The possibility of a wildcard can’t be discounted either. But, among the names, one stands out, and is getting the loudest cheer. That’s Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari, the outgoing Leader of the Opposition, is the giant slayer who bhabanipur-election-result-suvendu-adhikari-defeated-mamata-banerjee-reason-explained-2906579-2026-05-04″ target=”_self”>defeated Mamata from Bhabanipur. In 2021, he defeated Mamata in Nandigram. Adhikari is being considered the frontrunner in the race to be West Bengal’s next chief minister.
Adhikari is the man many believe spearheaded the BJP’s campaign in West Bengal for years. They say the former Mamata aide deserves to get the chief minister’s post.
But what if Suvendu Adhikari is not chosen? The risks are not immediate collapse. The BJP is too structured for that. What happens if the BJP leadership goes for messaging? Does Adhikari, who wasn’t officially the party’s face in West Bengal this time, but also was the face, enjoy the support of all the BJP MLAs?
DOES OVERLOOKING SUVENDU ADHIKARI RISK DAMPENING CADRE ENERGY?
To give credit where it’s due, Suvendu Adhikari has been the main leader for the BJP in West Bengal, irrespective of his position in the party’s state unit. He has been the face of resistance against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on the ground. From Nandigram in 2021 to Bhabanipur in 2026, his victories against TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee have carried symbolic weight beyond poll arithmetic.
Ground reports on Bangla TV channels suggest that many BJP grassroots workers and some elected MLAs see him as the natural claimant to the top post in West Bengal.
Overlooking Adhikari could send an uncomfortable signal to the BJP cadre. The BJP leadership would not want to be seen as giving priority to internal balancing over Suvendu Adhikari’s electoral delivery and street-level mobilisation.
Thus, a BJP chief minister other than Suvendu Adhikari could dull the edge of cadre enthusiasm that powered the BJP’s breakthrough in West Bengal.
CAN BJP AFFORD TO LOSE ITS MOST AGGRESSIVE GROUND FACE IN WEST BENGAL?
Adhikari’s appeal has the boon of his hybrid political identity. A former Trinamool Congress insider with roots in Southern Bengal, Suvendu has morphed well into a combative BJP persona.
Suvendu Adhikari’s switch from Trinamool Congress to the BJP in late 2020 got the saffron party valuable grassroots networks. His victory over Mamata in Nandigram in 2021 turned him into a “giant killer” and gave the BJP its first and biggest morale boost in Bengal. This win established Adhikari as the principal face of opposition. This laid the foundation for a sustained anti-TMC mobilisation on the streets of Kolkata.
As Leader of the Opposition, Adhikari maintained relentless pressure on the TMC government through consistent ground-level campaigns, booth-level organisation, and highlighting issues like alleged corruption, appeasement, and governance failures.
The BJP can ill afford to sideline its most aggressive ground face in West Bengal without risking a dent in its hard-earned momentum. He is certainly the BJP’s most recognisable force in Bengal, at least to an outsider. The same was reflected when the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the party in power in Bangladesh, congratulated “the BJP led by Suvendu Adhikari” for the party’s win in Bengal.
Leaders like Samik Bhattacharya or Agnimitra Paul might bring organisational strength and credibility, but they lack an immediate recall or street-level authority, like Suvendu Adhikari’s.
CLAMOUR FOR SUVENDU AS BENGAL CM GROWS
Numerous people on social media have supported Adhikari for the West Bengal CM’s post.
“There must be only one name for West Bengal CM, Suvendu. Please don’t make the blunder of installing someone else… Suvendu knows all secrets… best suited for Bengal CM,” a person said.
Another person, tagging PM Modi and Home Minister Shah, said, “Sir, Bengal CM must only be Suvendu Adhikari”.
Kolkata-based Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay, who watches West Bengal politics and administration in West Bengal, took to X and said Suvendu Adhikari would “face internal polls” amongst other BJP leaders.
“The BJP’s legislative meet [is] on Friday evening. The oath taking [is] the following day at the Brigade Parade Ground. Multiple CM faces, including Suvendu Adhikari, will face internal polls amongst party leaders. It’s on Friday night itself you’ll get a confirmation on Bengal’s next CM to be,” Bandyopadhyay posted on X.
In a separate post, Bandopadhyay said, “Suvendu Adhikari is all set to be the next Bengal CM. [The] BJP’s very own Dada has officially arrived. All our celebrations will be planned tommorow on”.
A person called Sameer said, “Suvendu and Himanta : Eastern India is sorted,” wrote the person with smileys of a triangular bhagwa flag and that of a fire.
WHY SUVENDU ADHIKARI MIGHT BE THE BEST CHOICE FOR BENGAL CM
Adhikari’s relatively recent entry into the BJP has long been a point of unease for sections of the BJP’s old guard and the RSS-linked ecosystem. Multiple reports suggest Adhikari enjoys strong backing from central leadership, especially Amit Shah.
Sidelining Adhikari could create a different kind of friction among the top leadership, which otherwise displayed some cohesion in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly election. Creating unease among those who rallied behind Adhikari’s leadership during the campaign would be the last thing the BJP would want in the hard-won state.
Adhikari’s administrative experience as a former minister in the Trinamool Congress government also gives him a working understanding of Bengal’s bureaucracy and governance machinery. However, this is not a trivial asset.
To be fair, the risks are not one-sided. The BJP has historically made unexpected leadership choices that have worked due to the backing of the Centre and the organisational discipline dictated by the party leadership. However, Adhikari himself has big backing from the central leadership.
While Adhikari himself has publicly downplayed personal ambition, he is being called the frontrunner in several news reports. If these reports are to be believed, Adhikari could be the one to lead the BJP’s “Poriborton” in West Bengal.
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