Shubhendhu Adhikari Defeats Mamata Banerjee by Joining BJP, Ending 15-Year TMC Rule in West Bengal

In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a historic victory by winning 206 seats and forming the government with a two-thirds majority for the first time in the state’s history. Shubhendhu Adhikari emerged as a central figure in this unprecedented triumph. He defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the traditionally stronghold constituency of Bhabanipur by a margin of 15,105 votes, bringing an end to 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule in Bengal.

Shubhendhu Adhikari not only won decisively in Bhabanipur but also retained the prominent Nandigram constituency, which he had won in 2021, by a large margin. Formerly considered a trusted protégé of Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari’s defection from the TMC to BJP played a pivotal role in dismantling the party’s long-standing dominance in the state.

Having succeeded in toppling “Didi’s” fortress, Shubhendhu Adhikari has established himself as the most powerful political leader in West Bengal’s current landscape.

Political Legacy and Family Background

Born in 1970 in Karakuli, East Medinipur, Shubhendhu Adhikari hails from a politically influential family. His father, Shishir Adhikari, is a prominent leader in the region. Shubhendhu was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 and served as a Minister of State under then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2009 to 2012. Among his two brothers, Divyendu is a Member of Parliament, while the other brother holds significant influence in local government politics. Shubhendhu pursued studies in Political Science and History at the University of Kolkata.

On April 22 in Kathmandu, this political shift marks a transformational moment in West Bengal’s governance as the BJP’s historic mandate reshapes the state’s political narrative.