Suvendu Adhikari's political journey mirrors the turbulent dynamics of West Bengal's power structures. Beginning in the Congress and later joining the Trinamool Congress in 1998, Adhikari rose rapidly through the party ranks, winning a state assembly seat in 2006 and playing a central role in the 2007 Nandigram protests against land acquisition by the Left Front government. As the leader of the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee, he helped galvanize opposition to the proposed chemical hub, a movement that turned violent when police firing killed 14 protesters. The backlash contributed significantly to the Trinamool Congress's eventual overthrow of the 34-year Left rule in 2011.

Following the party's victory, Adhikari was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tamluk in 2009 and 2014, establishing himself as a key strategist and mass leader. In 2016, he returned to state politics and was inducted into Mamata Banerjee's cabinet, holding critical portfolios including transport and irrigation. At the time, he was widely regarded as the second-most powerful figure in the Trinamool Congress. However, his influence began to wane with the rising prominence of Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, and the entry of political strategist Prashant Kishor into the party's inner circle, which shifted decision-making dynamics and marginalized senior leaders like Adhikari.

By late 2020, tensions culminated in Adhikari resigning as a minister in November, followed by his formal exit from the Trinamool Congress and subsequent joining of the Bharatiya Janata Party in December. His defection came just months before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, setting the stage for a direct confrontation with his former leader. In a symbolic move, Mamata Banerjee chose to contest from Nandigram, the very constituency where Adhikari had built his grassroots base, aiming to publicly discredit him as a 'deserter.' Despite her personal campaign, Adhikari defeated her by a narrow margin, marking a major psychological and political blow to the Trinamool.

Heading into the 2026 elections, Adhikari—now Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly—is replicating Banerjee’s 2021 strategy by contesting not only from Nandigram but also from Bhabanipur, her Kolkata-based constituency where she won a bypoll after her 2021 loss. This dual challenge is both a tactical and symbolic escalation, positioning him as the BJP's chief contender for the chief ministership should the party gain power. Banerjee has framed the move as an intrusion into her personal space, but politically, it underscores the deepening polarization in Bengal, where leadership rivalries are increasingly personal and high-stakes. The coming election cycle will test whether the BJP can consolidate anti-Trinamool sentiment or if incumbency and regional identity will preserve the status quo.