Fifty-five-year-old Suvendu Adhikari has long worked for this day — when he assumes charge as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal, scripting history in more ways than one.While the man wears multiple hats, he will always be known first as a former Mamata Banerjee confidant, the real face of the 2007 farmers’ campaign in Nandigram that catapulted Mamata to power in 2011 in a history-turning moment when the TMC routed a 34-year Left rule to capture power in the state.But that was another time and Suvendu was Mamata’s right hand man besides being, what he thought, her natural “political heir”. But that was not to be.Mamata’s decision to pass the baton to nephew Abhishek and perpetuate dynasty miffed Suvendu who turned saffron in 2020. He has since been the face of the BJP in Bengal and has ably led it to victory in the state.No political novice, Suvendu hails from a political family with roots extending to Bipin Adhikari, a celebrated freedom fighter who had his home burnt down by the British.Suvendu’s father Sisir Adhikari was a Congress leader before he joined the TMC and had Suvendu follow him to Mamata’s turfs.Besides commanding a rich family and nationalist legacy, Suvendu himself has been a leader in his own right.His public life spans 30 years during which he has a 20-year legislative experience as a two-time Lok Sabha MP, three-time MLA, Leader of Opposition in Bengal for five years, three-time councillor and Chairman, Contai Municipality.Suvendu’s administrative experience is also vast. He has been Cabinet Minister of portfolios like transport and irrigation, Chairperson of Hooghly River Bridge Commission, Chairman of Haldia Development Authority and cooperative movement leader.Suvendu has also been the Chairman of Agriculture Rural Bank, Contai Urban Cooperative and Vidhyasagar Central Cooperative Bank.However, his greatest strength is his family legacy. He comes from the illustrious Adhikari family of Kanthi, famed for its role in the freedom struggle. His ancestors Bipin Adhikari and Kenaram Adhikari were ardent nationalists, who worked closely with many of Bengal’s illustrious freedom fighters of that time.Bipin Adhikari even had to face imprisonment, and the Adhikari family’s house was burnt down twice by the British.Suvendu himself mostly cut his political teeth in family turf East Midnapore’s Nandigram but has now proved that his influence extends much beyond one district and across Bengal.