New Delhi The BJP formed a government for the first time in West Bengal on Saturday with 55-year-old Suvendu Adhikari taking oath as chief minister. Adhikari, who was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature, joins a group of chief ministers who do not trace their political affiliations to the party’s ideological wellspring, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Adhikari joins several other BJP state presidents who were previously with other political parties. So far, Prime Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, Manik Saha in Tripura and Pema Khandu in Arunachal Pradesh are all former Congress members. Bihar CM Samrat Chaudhary, who joined the BJP in 2018, was earlier with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (US).
Former Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh also moved from the Congress, while former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai arrived from the Janata Dal (Secular).
Adhikari, a former confidant of Trinamool Congress supremo and three-term chief minister Mamata Banerjee, joined the BJP in 2020. The move was seen as bringing heft to the BJP ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections. Adhikari, a former state minister, resigned from the Nandigram assembly constituency, which he went on to win.
The BJP relied not only on his legislative experience – Adhikari served as a Lok Sabha MP twice and as a legislator for three terms – but also on his understanding of grassroots politics. His experience in cadre building and administrative acumen have been credited with helping the BJP consolidate its reach in the state, which was once a communist stronghold.
In 2021, the BJP’s tally in West Bengal rose from three to 77. Adhikari’s victory in Nandigram, where he defeated Banerjee that year, pushed him to the top. A second victory in its stronghold of Bhabanipur strengthened his claim to the top job.
BJP leaders stated that Adhikari’s hardline Hindutva tone helped him overcome the hurdle of not being a sangathan and parivaar. “His statements exposing Mamata Banerjee’s appeasement policy were important in helping the BJP’s rhetoric,” a senior RSS leader said. “Because he was part of the TMC and its inner circle, he knew the effects of demographic changes allowed in the country. Not being part of Shaka is not a handicap; not being aligned with ideology is a handicap.”
While the opposition criticized Adhikari for his polarizing statements – such as referring to his former party chief as “Begum” or urging people to refrain from visiting “Muslim majority” places like Kashmir – the RSS leader stated that he played a key role in “restoring Hindu pride”.
“Secularism has been incorrectly read as appeasement of Muslims in Bengal. Bengalis have been at the forefront of cultural and religious renaissance, so how can people who follow Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo not be proud of being Hindus? Bengal needs leaders like Adhikari who are Hindutvadi,” the RSS leader said.
On whether the RSS has softened its stance on appointing non-Sangh leaders to senior positions, a second official said the organization believes in inclusiveness but does not compromise on core values.
“Ideology and the concept of nation first are non-negotiable. There are many leaders who are not associated with the Sangh but share the sentiments of preserving India’s heritage. When these leaders join the party and the decision makers find them suitable for a post, that is their calling,” the second leader said.
The Sangh’s position contrasts with the differences between the Leader and the party during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee years. The then RSS chief K Sudarshan had expressed reservations about appointing Jaswant Singh as finance minister and Brijesh Mishra as national security advisor.
It is also a departure from the time when only dyed-in-the-wool ideologues like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti rose to the highest offices in the states.
The second employee, referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statements about the Sangh’s non-interference in the party’s political affairs, said the organization believes in the importance of welcoming people with “nationalist ideas”.
“Leaders like Sushma Swaraj and Nitish Kumar came from the socialist school of thought, but they did not stray from the nationalist point of view,” the second employee said.
