The Suvendu Adhikari You Must Know

'When I asked Suvendu about the news that Didi was going to fight in his constituency, he said, 'Aami okhaney lorbo aar okhaney okey harabo (I will contest from there and defeat her there)' This was his comment while we were standing on the truck doing our roadshow.'

Fact is often stranger than fiction. Mamata Banerjee's protégé became her nemesis. Suvendu Adhikari's rise has been phenomenal.

From a Trinamool Congress member, who had quit the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, he went on to decimate his mentor, who had ruled the state for 15 years.

Pitted against Didi, Adhikari emerged triumphant in two successive West Bengal assembly elections, first in 2021 in Nandigram; this time the battle royale was fought in Bhabanipur, Didi's home turf.

Her ignominious debacle and Adhikari's spectacular victory, six years after he joined the BJP, saw him catapult into the chief minister's chair.

A cross-section of Calcuttans who have seen Adhikari from close quarters share their impressions and weave a tapestry to portray the man who has scripted history by becoming the BJP's first chief minister of West Bengal.

The Political Journey and Departure from TMC

"Suvendu came to Parliament with me in 2009," Saugata Roy, veteran Trinamool Congress MP, recalls. "Earlier he was not involved in state politics, he was more involved in local politics, basically in Contai and Tamluk. He came to prominence in the Nandigram struggle which started from 2007. In Nandigram he played a glorious role. In 2016 he contested the assembly elections and became a minister in several state departments."

"In 2020 he had an ego issue with Mamata's nephew Abhishek. He wanted to be number two. Mamata obviously preferred her nephew. That seems to be the real issue. In the end when he was leaving the party, Mamata had asked me to negotiate with him. I made Suvendu and Abhishek sit down face to face. Initially he almost agreed to stay on in the party. Then he had a change of heart.

"Obviously, he had made up his mind. He was already a minister but there was an issue about who would look after which district. He was earlier in charge of Murshidabad. It was taken away from him. He was upset with that too.

"I would say he had a great stay in the party but then he left. In 2020 there was no going back for him. He joined the BJP. He played an important role as a leader of the Opposition. After he left our party, I met him several times on flights. He was always very well-behaved, polite, gentle and respectful.

"I had strong connections with his father Sisir Adhikari, an old time Congressman who later joined the TMC. He is very attached to his son. Suvendu had chief ministerial ambitions he had shared with me. I never thought his dream would come true.

"He used to tell me he would organise the processions and Modi would address the meetings. I never thought the TMC would lose and the BJP would win though I knew the RSS was working very seriously on the ground. Their two minders Bhupender Yadav and Sunil Bansal have worked very well. There are challenges ahead for Suvendu.

"The BJP has no party organisation at the ground level. He has to now get things in order. The panchayat, municipalities and corporations are not with him. He has made many promises. With the Centre backing him, definitely his position is better. He certainly has political competence."

A Man of Action and Determination

Industrialist Hemant Kanoria shares his perspective: "I know him as a very determined person. A person who has clarity and can deliver. It's not just words but he is a man of action. He is a very good human being who is very helpful to anyone who wants to build industry.

"I found him to be a very disciplined person and extremely hardworking. He is very connected to the people at the ground level. He is also very compassionate which is a very good sign of a leader. For decades I have known his father Sisirda, who was then a veteran Congress person. I used to go see him with my father. Subsequently his father too joined the TMC. I found both father and son very helpful to everyone not just to industry.

"About a decade ago, we were setting up a 300 MW power plant in Haldia. He was looking after that entire belt. Setting up any large infrastructure project is never easy. It was because of his facilitation and his taking a very positive view that we were able to complete the project. Even today it is running well. I would give the entire credit to him.

"Without his assistance, it would have been a challenge because there are so many issues to tackle, the logistics to handle. This is my personal experience. I am sure with the kind of experience, capability and helpful nature that he has, there will be substantial infrastructure development and industrialisation in West Bengal.

"There will always be challenges for such a large state. He is a person who has the right attitude to face each challenge and find a solution to deal with it. This is where I think he scores very high. He is very solution-oriented. I will rank him as one of our very good leaders.

"He has age on his side, he is enthusiastic and hardworking. He has everything in his favour. He is a no-nonsense person. He will work aggressively for the larger good."

Focused Leadership and Public Connect

"The first time I met Suvendu Adhikari was on the day he joined the party," BJP leader Shishir Bajoria remembers. "I met him with Amit Shahji at a hotel in Kolkata. My first impression of Suvendu after I had a brief word with him was that he is a very focused person. Then came the 2021 elections. Suvendu was very new to our party but he had a big role.

"I was at a road show in Tollygunge, our state president was Dilip Ghosh. That was the day Mamata Banerjee announced that she would fight from Nandigram.

"When I asked Suvendu for a response to the news that Didi was going to fight in his constituency, he said, 'Aami okhaney lorbo aar okhaney okey harabo (I will contest from there and defeat her there).' This was his comment while we were standing on the truck doing our roadshow.

"I found him to be a very determined person. As time passed, we had occasion to work very closely especially during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. One thing I found was that he always came up with out-of-the-box thinking.

"As an Opposition leader, he always attracted people. He had a connect with people. He was given Z category security and then Z plus, naturally he was surrounded by security men.

"Very often you can get distanced from the people. But he ensured that the security ring did not keep him away from the people. This connect is reflected in the results in this election."

A Leader Who Listens

"As hospital heads, we get opportunities to interact with leaders across political parties. I have headed Apollo Gleneagles for 15 years, Fortis for seven years, and Woodlands for six years," says Dr Rupali Basu, Regional Business Head – East & AP, HCG Cancer Hospitals.

"My first significant interaction with Suvendu Adhikari was when his father, Sisir babu, was unwell and admitted at Apollo. He was then with the TMC. I found him to be very down to earth, serious and deeply attentive. There was nothing casual about his demeanour.

"What stood out was his concern -- he was extremely caring and went into every detail. The last interaction I clearly remember was during my tenure at Woodlands Hospital. There were certain matters pertaining to the unions that needed discussion, and I approached him as we had both TMC and BJP unions. By then, he had joined the BJP. I found him very thorough.

"He listened intently, understood the situation and helped resolve matters. I had nothing to complain about. The most important trait I noticed in him is that he listens fully. Many leaders do not always give you their complete attention; they may brush things aside. With Suvendu babu, it was never like that. For a political leader, this is a very vital quality.

"My hope is that he will continue to listen to everybody, hear all proposals, involve professionals and use knowledge and expertise to guide decision-making. Decisions taken after careful discussion and after weighing every option are more likely to serve the people well.

"There is never just one answer to a question; every option must be considered. In many ways, a chief minister is like the CEO of a company. You are actually running it. You have to ace your decision-making capability. I look forward to his leadership."

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff