India, March 29 -- The influence of the Adhikari family has emerged as a decisive factor in three key assembly constituencies of West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, as the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gear up for a fierce electoral battle.

Once a dominant anti-Left force and later a pillar of the TMC, the Adhikari family-led by former Union minister Sisir Adhikari and including Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, along with Dibyendu and Soumendu-has now aligned with the BJP, significantly altering the political landscape in the region.

The constituencies of Tamluk, Kanthi (Uttar), and Kanthi (Dakshin), which witnessed closely contested elections in 2021, are again in focus due to shift...