Suvendu Adhikari's journey from a key figure in the Trinamool Congress to a leading BJP challenger in West Bengal is a remarkable transformation. His victories, particularly against Mamata Banerjee, have positioned him as a potential chief minister, marking a significant shift in the state's political dynamics.
Soumendu was recently removed from the administrator's post at the civic body by the Mamata Banerjee government.
Even as the BJP makes inroads into previously unfamiliar territories in eastern India, the party will have to be wary of losing out elsewhere, says Amulya Ganguli.
With his exit, the TMC will lose a crucial, politically influential vote catcher in the Jungalmahal region and areas in minority-dominated Murshidabad, and the BJP will get a face it badly needs, especially in rural Bengal, reports Aditi Phadnis.
