Kolkata Witnesses BJP–TMC Face-Off During Suvendu Adhikari’s Nomination Rally

Slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “BJP zindabad” clashed with cries of “Joy Bangla” and “Mamata Banerjee zindabad” as a high-voltage political face-off unfolded in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur area on Thursday, when the BJP turned Suvendu Adhikari’s nomination filing in Bhabanipur into a massive roadshow. The show of strength, led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, briefly escalated into a tense standoff near Kalighat, close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence, as rival supporters came face to face under heavy police presence.

The roadshow began from Hazra crossing, with Shah and Adhikari atop an open vehicle, accompanied by state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and other senior leaders. Saffron flags lined the route, while supporters gathered along roadsides and rooftops, showering petals and raising slogans such as “Ebar Banglay BJP” and “Mamata hatao, Bangla bachao”.

“Today, I have come especially for Suvendu Adhikari’s nomination,” Shah said before the procession began, signalling the party’s intent to make Bhabanipur a key battleground in its south Kolkata push.

Tensions peaked when the convoy approached Kalighat, where Trinamool Congress supporters had assembled with party flags, raising counter-slogans. Some protesters, with black cloth tied around their heads, waved black flags and shouted “Amit Shah go back”.

For several minutes, the two groups stood in close proximity, exchanging slogans, before police formed a human barricade to separate them. A brief scuffle broke out between BJP and TMC workers, prompting further intervention by security personnel. The confrontation disrupted traffic and heightened tensions in the area before the convoy moved ahead.

The political showdown with police cordon captured the sharp political divide in Bhabanipur, long considered Banerjee’s political stronghold. The BJP also sought to project the constituency as central to its electoral strategy in Kolkata, with leaders using the occasion to underline the stakes of the contest.

Earlier in the day, addressing a rally, Shah sharpened his attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress, urging voters to support the BJP “without fear”. He asserted that no “goon” could prevent people from exercising their franchise and called for the TMC to be “thrown into the Bay of Bengal”.

Shah also revealed that Adhikari had initially been keen to contest only from Nandigram. “I told him we must not only win Nandigram, but also defeat Mamata Banerjee on her home turf,” he said. Amit Shah further said he would remain in West Bengal for the next 15 days, signalling an intensified campaign in the run-up to the polls.

Mamata Banerjee is contesting from both Bhabanipur, with the BJP fielding Suvendu Adhikari against her in Bhabanipur, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle. Adhikari will also contest from Bengal’s Nandigram seat, a constituency where he had defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections.​