West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari faced visible resistance as he launched his election campaign from Bhabanipur, the political stronghold of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
The area quickly turned into a politically charged zone, with rival supporters asserting their presence. While BJP workers raised slogans backing Adhikari, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters countered with chants in favour of Mamata Banerjee. The atmosphere was marked by loud sloganeering, conch shell sounds and distribution of sweets.
Suvendu Adhikari launched a sharp attack on the ruling party and the Chief Minister. “Mamata Banerjee is going to lose again... Lotus will bloom here... It is very important to defeat the TMC and the Chief Minister... Everyone here is telling me that we are not fine... Everyone is suffering here,” he said.
Bhabanipur is poised to witness a high-stakes electoral contest, with Adhikari and Banerjee likely to face each other directly. The constituency carries significant symbolic and political weight for both leaders.
The rivalry between the two leaders dates back to the 2021 Assembly elections, when Mamata Banerjee vacated her Bhabanipur seat to contest against Adhikari in Nandigram, his stronghold. While Banerjee lost that battle, she later secured a decisive victory in Bhabanipur, enabling her to continue as Chief Minister.
The upcoming election is being viewed as a crucial rematch. For Mamata Banerjee, a win in Bhabanipur would reinforce her authority and help put the Nandigram defeat behind her. For Suvendu Adhikari, the contest presents an opportunity to challenge the TMC’s dominance in an urban bastion and expand the BJP’s footprint in the state.
With both leaders investing political capital in the seat, the battle for Bhabanipur is expected to play a defining role in shaping the broader narrative of West Bengal politics in 2026.
