Photo: Image 1. X/narendramodi, Image 2. Videograbs from Instagram/abhishekaitc

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On May 9, 2026, West Bengal witnessed a massive turning point in its political history. Standing at Kolkata’s iconic Brigade Parade Ground, Suvendu Adhikari took the oath to become the state’s first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister. The election results were a landslide. The BJP secured 207 out of 294 seats, completely ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). For Adhikari, who personally defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, this moment was the absolute peak of his career. However, for over a decade, he was not a rival to Mamata Banerjee; he was her most trusted lieutenant. 

 

Mamata’s Most Trusted to Her Biggest Rival

Adhikari was once the main builder of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) grassroots network. During the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement, his groundwork helped defeat the 34-year-old Left Front government. For over ten years, he was known as Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted lieutenant and the key person running her ground operations.

Yet, the man who built the TMC’s stronghold ended up using that same knowledge to break it down. After joining the BJP in December 2020, Adhikari used his deep understanding of the TMC’s local weaknesses. By combining his local village networks with the BJP’s national resources, he directly targeted his old party’s safest districts. Political experts point to this exact mix of insider knowledge and national support as the main reason the TMC government fell in 2026.

 

Rise of Abhishek Banerjee and Involvement of I-PAC

The split between Adhikari and the TMC did not happen overnight. The mood inside the party changed quickly when Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, began rising through the ranks. Veteran leaders saw this as a shift toward a family dynasty, leaving behind the older workers who had managed the state’s politics for decades.

This internal tension reached a breaking point after the 2019 elections when the TMC hired political strategist Prashant Kishor and his company, I-PAC. In public statements at the time, Adhikari expressed deep frustration that experienced politicians were being controlled by corporate consultants. He felt outsiders were making decisions without understanding the reality on the ground, which he cited as a major reason for leaving the party.

 

Saradha Scam and the Narada Sting Operation 

According to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) records regarding the 2013 Saradha Chit Fund scam, the main accused person, Sudipta Sen, clearly named Adhikari in letters to the authorities.

The legal pressure grew heavier in 2016 with the Narada Sting Operation. National media broadcasted video footage allegedly catching Adhikari accepting cash from people posing as corporate representatives. According to TMC insiders, the party leaders’ refusal to defend him in public was the final push that made him leave the TMC. After his exit, TMC leaders frequently told courts that federal agencies paused the investigation against Adhikari while actively prosecuting others who stayed in the party.

 

Deaths of His Close Aide 

Alongside his rise in politics, a disturbing and well-documented pattern began in his inner circle. Police reports from August 2013 describe the death of Pradip Jha, Adhikari’s personal assistant. Jha was found unconscious on a Kolkata sidewalk. While early police checks pointed to alcohol-related choking, Jha’s family filed formal complaints claiming foul play. The case was never resolved with any arrests.

In October 2018, Subhabrata Chakraborty, an armed police officer working as Adhikari’s main bodyguard, died from a gunshot wound inside a police barrack. State police initially ruled it a suicide. However, the legal status changed completely in 2021. Right after Adhikari joined the BJP, Chakraborty’s widow formally asked for a murder investigation. The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reopened the case. In response, BJP officials publicly claimed the state government was using the police for political revenge. The sudden death of another aide, Pulak Lahiri, in 2021 added to the unusual number of fatalities surrounding Adhikari’s team.

 

Hate Speech FIRs of 2024-2025 

Beyond federal probes, Adhikari faced intense legal battles at the state level during his time as the Leader of the Opposition. During the border unrest and violence in Bangladesh between 2024 and 2025, state police filed dozens of cases against him.

Using the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) laws, authorities charged Adhikari with causing public unrest because of his speeches demanding the deportation of Rohingya refugees. Election Commission records show the TMC filed multiple complaints about his language. This forced Adhikari to repeatedly ask the Calcutta High Court for legal protection to avoid being arrested by the state police.

 

May 2026 Assassination of Chandranath Rath 

The most violent event in this timeline happened on May 6, 2026, just 48 hours before the new state government was sworn in. According to early reports from the state Special Investigation Team (SIT), Chandranath Rath who is Adhikari’s executive assistant and main strategist was murdered in Madhyamgram.

Police records show that unknown attackers stopped Rath’s vehicle and fired several shots at close range. While Adhikari publicly called it a political murder planned to damage his new government’s backroom team, the TMC leadership strongly denied any involvement and officially asked for a CBI investigation to ensure fairness.