As counting trends in West Bengal 2026 gather momentum, the political mood in the state appears to be shifting in a way few had confidently predicted before polling day. The Bharatiya Janata Party is racing
past the halfway mark, opening up a decisive lead that, if sustained, could bring an end to over a decade of rule by Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress. For a state that has historically delivered sweeping mandates, first for the Left, then for Mamata, the possibility of another tectonic shift is now very real. Check Live updates on West Bengal Election Results here.
What makes this moment even more dramatic is the symbolism of the battles playing out seat by seat, especially in high-profile constituencies like Bhabanipur. As the numbers continue to fluctuate with each round of counting, the central question has quickly moved beyond who will win, to who will be the Chief Minister if the BJP scripts this historic victory.
Suvendu Adhikari: The Frontrunner
If current trends hold, Suvendu Adhikari is one of the likely faces of a BJP government in Bengal.
A grassroots heavyweight, Adhikari’s political journey mirrors Bengal’s shifting sands. Once a trusted lieutenant of Mamata Banerjee and a key architect of the Trinamool Congress’s rise in rural Bengal, he was instrumental in movements like Nandigram that propelled Mamata to power in 2011.
But in 2020, in a dramatic political pivot, Adhikari switched to the BJP, turning from ally to adversary. That shift reshaped Bengal politics overnight. Within months, he emerged as the BJP’s tallest state leader and went on to defeat Mamata Banerjee herself in the high-stakes Nandigram battle in 2021.
Today, he is not just the Leader of Opposition, but the BJP’s face in Bengal.
In 2026, the Suvendu-Mamata rivalry has come full circle. Adhikari is directly taking on Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, her political bastion. And the contest has turned into the symbolic heart of this election.
Early rounds saw both candidates trading leads. At one point, Mamata was trailing; later she edged ahead again. The margin has been fluctuating sharply through the day.
This see-saw battle reflects a deeper churn: Mamata, once invincible in Bhabanipur, is now in a fight to hold her ground, while Adhikari is pushing hard to script a political upset.
This is why Adhikari could be the natural CM choice. If the BJP crosses the majority mark—as trends suggest, it is difficult to look beyond Adhikari. He is the party’s mass leader with rural connect, has already defeated Mamata once, and has been leading the BJP’s Bengal strategy on the ground.
Other contenders in the BJP camp
While Adhikari is clearly ahead in the race, a few other names could feature in internal discussions with BJP springing surprises in other states too. Here are some other contenders:
Dilip Ghosh: Former state BJP chief, Ghosh is known for building the party’s organisational base and a prominent face in earlier election cycles.
Samik Bhattacharya: A senior leader with strong ideological grounding and organisational experience
Agnimitra Paul: One of the emerging younger faces, Paul represents the BJP’s attempt to broaden its appeal
However, unlike in some other states, the BJP in Bengal does not appear divided on leadership. The momentum is clearly behind Adhikari.
The broader picture makes this moment even more significant. After over a decade of Trinamool rule, trends suggest a dramatic shift, with the BJP crossing 150 seats and positioning itself to form the government. If this holds, it would mark the end of Mamata Banerjee’s long dominance and the beginning of a new political era in the state.
And at the centre of that shift stands Suvendu Adhikari, the man who once helped Mamata rise, and now could be the one to replace her.
