Suvendu Adhikari Prefers Nandigram for Assembly Polls, Open to Other Seats if Party Decides

PTI, March 15, 2026, Kolkata: West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said he would prefer to contest the upcoming assembly elections from the Nandigram seat, while not ruling out the possibility of fighting from other constituencies, including Bhabanipur, if directed by his party.

Speaking to reporters, the senior BJP leader said the decision on candidature would rest with the party, but described Nandigram as his first choice.

"In the BJP, there are no individual decisions. This is not a 'pishi-bhaipo' (aunt-nephew) party," he said in an apparent dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of TMC.

"Decisions in the BJP are taken collectively. Even if the party does not field me, that is fine; if it asks me to contest, that is also fine," he said.

However, when asked about his personal preference, Adhikari said he would like to contest again from Nandigram, where he defeated the chief minister in 2021.

"If you ask me, I would say I will contest from Nandigram. But if the BJP leadership asks me to do something else, that will also be followed. Nandigram is my political base and emotional asset," he said.

Asked about the possibility of contesting from Bhabanipur, the constituency represented by the CM, Adhikari reiterated that he would abide by the party’s decision.

His remarks have renewed speculation about whether he might contest from more than one constituency in the upcoming assembly.

The Nandigram seat gained national prominence during the 2021 assembly elections when Adhikari defeated Banerjee in a high-profile contest. Banerjee later returned to the assembly after winning a by-election from Bhabanipur.