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Suvendu Adhikari

About Suvendu Adhikari

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Who is Suvendu Adhikari?

Son of a former Union minister under Manmohan Singh-government, Suvendu Adhikari is an Indian politician from West Bengal. He was a member of the Indian National Congress from 1995 to 1998, and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) until December 2020. He then switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
 
Adhikari was first elected in 1995 as a councillor from Congress in the Contai. Later, Adhikari was elected to Legislative Assembly from West Bengal's Kanthi Dakshin constituency and became the chairman of Kanthi Municipal Corporation. Adhikari championed the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram and led the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee in 2007. After its success, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee made Adhikari the party-in-charge of Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, and Bankura districts.
The 50-year-old was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Tamluk constituency in 2009 after defeating rival Lakshman Seth of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M). In the 2016 Assembly elections, Adhikari got elected from Nandigram and therefore, resigned from Tamluk. He became the Minister of Transport, a post from which he resigned in November 2020. On December 17, 2020, he resigned from the primary membership of the TMC.
 
Ending his two-decade association, Adhikari thanked Chief Minister Banerjee for the opportunities given to him and said he would always value the time he spent as a TMC member.
 
In 2014, Adhikari got into a controversy when he was being interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation for his alleged role in the Saradha Group scandal. He was also accused of supplying arms to the Maoists to overthrow the CPI(M) government during the Nandigram movement.
 
Ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Adhikari declared a net worth of over Rs 80 lakh according to the Election Commission. In an affidavit, the BJP leader has declared that he has criminal cases pending against him as well.
 
Adhikari's father Sisir Adhikari and brother Dibyendu are sitting MPs from Tamluk and Kanthi Lok Sabha constituencies. The family wields considerable influence over at least 40-45 assembly segments in Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, parts of Birbhum -- mainly in the Junglemahal region -- and some areas in minority-dominated Murshidabad district.
 

West Bengal election 2021

Suvendu Adhikari, who rebelled against his former party TMC to join BJP, is contesting West Bengal Assembly elections 2021 from Nandigram constituency against Mamata Banerjee.

Latest Updates on Suvendu Adhikari

"Interdicting an election is a serious matter and we cannot do that. We will not interfere. Sorry, Dismissed," the bench said

Updated On: 06 Apr 2023 | 2:46 PM IST

The HC had refused to interfere in the process started by the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) for conducting the polls for the three-tier panchayat system

Updated On: 30 Mar 2023 | 1:46 PM IST

With the panchayat elections round the corner in Bengal, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP claimed in the Assembly that 34 per cent of the seats had gone uncontested in the 2018

Updated On: 11 Mar 2023 | 6:48 AM IST

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has informed that the Central Vigilance Commission has acknowledged the receipt and documentation of his complaint

Updated On: 06 Mar 2023 | 12:04 PM IST

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and a BJP MLA, Suvendu Adhikari has urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to derecognise the Trinamool Congress as a national party

Updated On: 03 Mar 2023 | 12:33 PM IST

This comes after HC allowed the SEC to file an affidavit stating its position on Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari's PIL, which alleged faulty process to determine OBC percentage

Updated On: 15 Dec 2022 | 9:23 PM IST

Suvendu Adhikari filed a PIL before a division bench of Calcutta High Court demanding deployment of central armed forces during next year's election to the three-tier panchayat system in the state

Updated On: 12 Dec 2022 | 3:55 PM IST

At least three people were killed and several others injured in a blast near the venue of senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's rally in Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, police said

Updated On: 03 Dec 2022 | 9:43 PM IST

Relying on Suvendu Adhikari for long during his earlier stint with Trinamool Congress was a mistake, Trinamool Congress' national General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee admitted

Updated On: 03 Dec 2022 | 8:51 PM IST

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday dared Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to stop implementation of the CAA in the state

Updated On: 27 Nov 2022 | 7:49 AM IST

Later, during a discussion on 'Constitution Day' in the House, the CM said that she had at one point adored him like a brother

Updated On: 25 Nov 2022 | 7:54 PM IST

In the petition, LoP Suvendu Adhikari, also sought an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in the matter.

Updated On: 15 Nov 2022 | 1:47 PM IST

Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP claimed that the process of CAA implementation has started in the country and West Bengal will not be left out of it

Updated On: 01 Nov 2022 | 4:12 PM IST

Suvendu Adhikari claimed that West Bengal has "breached its borrowing limit" under the Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management (FRBM) Act

Updated On: 28 Oct 2022 | 10:04 PM IST

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari advised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to offer the chair of brand ambassador of the state to former cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly

Updated On: 17 Oct 2022 | 7:55 PM IST

Soumendu Adhikari, the younger brother of BJP leader Adhikari, was questioned by the West Bengal Police for around ten hours in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in some projects

Updated On: 08 Oct 2022 | 6:17 PM IST

Accusing Bengal govt of 'illegally diverting' Central funds Suvendu Adhikari urged Union Finance minister to take appropriate steps so that the malpractices come to an end

Updated On: 30 Sep 2022 | 8:42 PM IST

Reacting to his comments, senior TMC leader Tapas Ray said Adhikari has a habit of making baseless allegations

Updated On: 15 Sep 2022 | 10:42 PM IST

The police resorted to baton charging and water-cannons to disperse the agitated BJP supporters, who retaliated with brickbats and bamboo poles.

Updated On: 13 Sep 2022 | 4:56 PM IST

The arm led by Adhikari and the party Lok Sabha member, Locket Chatterjee was stopped by a huge police contingent at the entry point to Vidyasagar Bridge, popularly known as Second Hooghly Bridge

Updated On: 13 Sep 2022 | 3:53 PM IST