When Indrajit Gupta joined the United Front government as the Minister of Home Affairs (India), Bardhan succeeded him as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India following Gupta's resignation from the post of party's General Secretary.

[4] Bardhan played a key role in the formation of the United Progressive Alliance government which was supported by the Communist Party of India.

[2] Bardhan was also among those who supported the candidature of Pratibha Patil, then Governor of Rajasthan, to the coveted post of the President of India.

[2] Bardhan married Padma, who was a teacher in Saraswati Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School, Shankar Nagar, Nagpur.

After her death, Bardhan spent his life in a small room at Ajoy Bhavan, the headquarters of CPI in Delhi.

[5] Bardhan had a brother-like relation with the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sumatitai Sukaklikar from Nagpur.