'Akhilesh next': Suvendu Adhikari warns SP after defeating TMC
What's the story
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari has set his sights on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, following his recent victories in West Bengal's Bhabanipur and Nandigram. "Mamata (Banerjee), Tejashwi (Yadav), Rahul (Gandhi) finished, Akhilesh (Yadav) is next," he said, referring to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as the BJP's main rival in Uttar Pradesh next year.
Election results
'Political exile has started for Mamata'
Adhikari's recent victories were by a margin of over 15,000 votes in Bhabanipur and against Trinamool Congress's Pabitra Kar in Nandigram. He paid tribute to the BJP workers killed in West Bengal violence while underlining Banerjee's defeat. "Her political exile has started. She lost Nandigram in 2021 and has lost Bhabanipur this time by over 15,000 votes," he said, referring to Banerjee's losses.
Party critique
Adhikari hints at more TMC MPs, workers joining BJP
Adhikari also likened the Trinamool Congress to the Aam Aadmi Party, calling it corrupt,family-oriented, and lacking any ideology. He claimed his victory in Nandigram was due to votes from Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains. "The Hindu people of Nandigram made me win again," he said. Adhikari also hinted that more TMC MPs and workers would join the BJP following these results.
Political trajectory
Adhikari's rise within BJP
Once a close aide of Banerjee, Adhikari is now seen as a possible chief ministerial candidate for the BJP. His recent victories have further strengthened his position within the party. The results are reminiscent of the 2021 Nandigram constituency election, when he had defeated Banerjee in a high-stakes contest that changed Bengal's political landscape.