Who is Suvendu Adhikari? Joining BJP in a day or two? All you need to know about influential leader with mass base

Ending weeks of speculation, TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari resigned as an MLA of the state assembly Wednesday further fuelling the theory of this mass leader switching over to the saffron camp. Adhikari, who resigned from the state cabinet last month and has been maintaining distance from the party leadership, arrived at the state assembly this evening and submitted his resignation to the assembly secretary. Here is all you need to know about Suvendu Adhikari:-

- Suvendu was TMC MLA from Nandigram assembly constituency of the East Midnapore district.

- Suvendu Adhikari had helped Mamata Banerjee in her anti-land acquisition movement against the Left Front government in Nandigram in 2009 that catapulted her to power in 2011.

- Adhikari is likely to resign from the party's primary membership within a day or two and is expected to cross over to the saffron camp later this week.

- Adhikari, an influential leader with a mass base who had resigned from the Mamata Banerjee cabinet and other positions that he held a few days ago, has maintained that it is "difficult for him to work with the party".

- Himself a two-term former MP, Adhikari's father, Sisir Adhikari and brother Dibyendu are sitting TMC MPs from Tamluk and Kanthi Lok Sabha constituencies respectively.

- The influential political family gave Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's rally in their stronghold West Medinipur district last week a miss, prompting her to accuse the BJP of trying to break her party by using "moneybag".

- The Adhikari family wields considerable influence in at least 40-45 assembly segments in West Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, parts of Birbhum -- mainly in the Junglemahal region and areas in minority-dominated Murshidabad district.

- His desertion may adversely impact the TMC's prospects in these areas in the next assembly polls for 294 seats.

Notably, Union Home minister Amit Shah is scheduled to be on a two-day visit to Bengal starting Saturday.

BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy hailed Adhikari's decision and said the saffron party would welcome him with open arms.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh also lauded Adhikari's decision and said the BJP would be happy to welcome him.