Pabitra Kar, a former BJP strategist, is now the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) campaign face in the high-stakes Nandigram battle.
The 2026 Assembly elections are ongoing, with the focus on this Purba Medinipur stronghold, which has already cast its ballots in one of the state's most anticipated contests.
Kar's shift in political loyalty has defined the rivalry in this constituency.
By fielding a former BJP leader who deeply understands Suvendu Adhikari's local network, the TMC has turned a traditional party battle into a showdown.
The election outcome now rests on whether the former aide can successfully dismantle the influence of his former mentor.
Pabitra Kar began his political journey with the Trinamool Congress and served as the pradhan of Boyal-1 gram panchayat in Nandigram-2 block, Purba Medinipur.
During the Nandigram movement of 2007–08, he worked closely with then-TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari and was part of the local organisational network that strengthened the party in the region.
In November 2020, Kar left the TMC and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, shortly before Suvendu Adhikari himself resigned from the TMC in December 2020.
In the BJP, he served as vice-president of the Tamluk district organisation and helped expand the party's booth-level structure in Nandigram.
Ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Kar rejoined the Trinamool Congress in the presence of Abhishek Banerjee and was immediately fielded as the party's candidate from Nandigram.
West Bengal's Assembly elections 2026 are being conducted in two phases, with results scheduled to be declared on May 4.
