Nandigram Winner Suvendu Adhikari To Contest Bhabanipur Against Mamata Banerjee
Suvendu Adhikari to contest Mamata Banerjee’s Bhabanipur seat, setting up a high-stakes Bengal rematch.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, from Bhabanipur, the Kolkata constituency currently represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, signaling a high-stakes rematch ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Adhikari will also contest from Nandigram, the constituency where he famously defeated Banerjee in 2021.
Nandigram holds historical significance for both leaders. It was the town that helped catapult Mamata Banerjee to power in 2011, with Adhikari initially by her side campaigning for land rights. Adhikari later became the MLA for Nandigram. In the 2021 election, however, he was pitted against Banerjee by the BJP, portraying her as an “outsider.” In a closely fought contest, Banerjee lost by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes, despite her party sweeping the state.
Following her defeat, Banerjee moved to Bhabanipur and won a by-election there with a margin exceeding 50,000 votes, establishing the constituency as her political stronghold. Adhikari’s latest nomination to Bhabanipur is seen as a strategic move to challenge her dominance in Kolkata, with the BJP leader reportedly vowing to make her a “former Chief Minister by a margin of 50,000 votes.”
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Recent voter list revisions in West Bengal have also added intrigue to the contest. Data from the Election Commission showed Bhabanipur recorded 44,787 voter deletions from 2,06,295 registered voters, nearly four times higher than Nandigram, which saw 10,599 deletions from 2,78,212 voters. Analysts say these figures may influence voter dynamics in both constituencies.
The 2026 Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases, on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. Banerjee has not yet officially announced her constituency for this election, though speculation continues that she may again contest from Bhabanipur.
Political observers view this move by Adhikari as an attempt to repeat the 2021 narrative, escalating what promises to be one of the most closely watched battles in the state. With both leaders staking claims in politically significant constituencies, the upcoming election is shaping up as a high-voltage rematch that could influence the overall trajectory of West Bengal politics.
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