A major political gamble by Amit Shah, pitchingSuvendu Adhikariagainst his former bossMamata Banerjeein Bhabanipur, turned into one of the most dramatic upsets in the recently-held West Bengal Assembly elections. Adhikari, who had earlier defeated Mamata in Nandigram in 2021, this time became her "perfect foil" as he unseated the three-time Chief Minister in her own bastion.
However, beyond the face-off, the victory was anchored in what party sources called Shah's sustained and methodical groundwork, most of which was carried out silently behind-the-scenes. According to those involved in the campaign,Shahhad resolved early on to mount an aggressive push to defeat Mamata in her stronghold. His visits to Kolkata were marked by tightly focused planning sessions, with Bhabanipur remaining at the centre of nightly review meetings.
A key component of the strategy was outreach to influential voter blocs. Bhabanipur's sizeable Gujarati and Marwari populations - estimated at around 25,000 and 21,000 respectively - were engaged directly by Shah through small-group interactions, including informal dinners. During these meetings, members of these communities raised concerns about past elections.
They alleged intimidation and fraudulent voting practices. "They said if their societies were provided security, they would be able to vote freely. Shah ensured that protection was arranged at every such location," a BJP functionary was quoted as saying by TOI.
On the organisational front, the BJP rolled out an extensive booth-level structure. Each polling station had a designated in-charge tasked with monitoring both internal unity and any reports of intimidation by TMC workers.
The campaign also set a clear voting-day target - ensuring that BJP supporters cast their votes early. Shah's push was to have party workers vote before 11 am and then mobilise others through the day.
The party also deployed leaders and MLAs from different states to connect with diverse voter segments. Alongside this, the revision of electoral rolls through the SIR process led to the removal of around 47,000 entries in Bhabanipur. These deletions, BJP sources claimed, included duplicate and deceased voters that had previously enabled "bogus votes".
The combined effect of these measures translated into a decisive outcome. Mamata Banerjee suffered a defeat by over 15,000 votes - a result that defied expectations. She, however, alleged that the election was stolen through undemocratic means, setting the stage for a fresh political confrontation even after the result.
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Diana George is Associate Editor at Times Now, with over a decade of experience covering national and international news, crime, and local politics. S...View More
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