West Bengal New CM Race: When Suvendu Adhikari Said He Is 'Not Interested'

Suvendu Adhikari addressed the persistent questions regarding his potential candidacy for West Bengal Chief Minister’s office.

Here is a look at what Suvendu Adhikari said regarding the CM race and his role in the party.

Source : PTI

As West Bengal witnesses a seismic political shift in the 2026 Assembly Elections, the spotlight has intensified on Suvendu Adhikari. Despite being the primary architect of BJP's surge in the state, Adhikari has consistently downplayed his personal ambitions for the Chief Minister's chair.  

Here is a look at what he said regarding the CM race and his role in the party.

"I Am Not Interested": Adhikari Distances Himself from CM Post

Last month, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, Suvendu Adhikari addressed the persistent questions regarding his potential candidacy for West Bengal Chief Minister’s office. In an exclusive interview, he made his stance clear:

"I am not interested... I am not interested in these questions. Modi ji, the Central leadership... they will pick a Bengali, so there is no problem," Adhikari stated during the "Walk the Talk" segment.  

"I am supporting the party's election management. I do what I am told to do. Go where I am asked to go... And my leader, from whose hand I have taken the baton, Amit Shah ji, I am in frequent touch with him. He is also giving me some work," he added.

His comments underscore a disciplined adherence to the BJP’s top-down decision-making structure, shifting the focus from individual ambition to the party's collective victory.

BJP goes past 200-seat mark

In 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, BJP has reportedly surged past the 200-seat mark, comfortably crossing the majority threshold in a significant political development. This comes in the first election held after a large-scale voter list revision under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which had already drawn considerable attention across the state.

The ruling Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, now appears to be heading toward a major setback after 15 years in power. The contest has largely been shaped as a direct battle between the TMC and the BJP, whose campaign has been strongly led by former party insider and current Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

Alongside the two main contenders, the Congress and Left Front have also been in the fray, while a new political factor has emerged in the form of a party floated by suspended Trinamool MLA Humayun Kabir, adding further complexity to the electoral landscape.

West Bengal has a total of 294 Assembly seats, with 148 required to secure a majority and form the government. Any party or alliance crossing this mark is set to assume power in the state.