Barely 200 metres from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence on Harish Chatterjee Street, Bhabanipur is emerging as the most closely watched seat in Bengal’s second phase of polling. Once seen as her safe turf, the constituency is now witnessing a sharper contest - and shrinking margins. One resident describes the seat as a microcosm reflecting "the whole country". "Every community has a voice here, so voting patterns are never predictable.”
The contest has turned high-voltage with Suvendu Adhikari - once a close aide of Mamata and now Leader of the Opposition - taking her on in her political backyard.
The BJP's decision to field Suvendu here comes after his narrow but symbolic win over Mamata in Nandigram in 2021 by around 1,900 votes. Though Mamata returned to the Assembly months later with a thumping bypoll victory from Bhabanipur by 58,835 votes, the momentum appears to have shifted since then. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the TMC's lead in this segment dropped sharply to just 8,297 votes.
Bhabanipur, carved out after the 2008 delimitation, has long been associated with Mamata’s rise. From ending the 34-year Left rule in 2011 to repeated wins since, the seat has been central to her political journey. But this time, the BJP has mounted an aggressive campaign. Senior leaders, including Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, have pitched for the party here.
On her part, Mamata has intensified her outreach, holding padyatras, public meetings and late-night interactions in the constituency even while campaigning across the state. The intensity is visible on the ground, with tensions spilling into rallies. On April 26, a public meeting at Chakraberia was cut short after disruptions, with Mamata accusing BJP workers of interference.
“See how they (BJP workers) are shouting. All the media is here. It is insulting and humiliating. They are shouting because they don’t want me to hold the meeting. I beg your pardon. I will not be able to address you now. Tomorrow, I will hold a rally here. I apologise and I will leave. Please vote for me in protest against this,” she said before leaving the stage.
The contest is also unfolding amid controversy over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Around 51,000 names - nearly 21% of the electorate - have been deleted in Bhabanipur. Concerns have been raised over the scale of deletions among Muslim voters, a key support base for the TMC. "There is confusion among voters after the revisions. Some people are still checking if their names are on the list," said one resident.
TMC workers say the party is pushing hard to retain the seat, reaching out across demographics - from slums to high-rise apartments. "We are seeing more rallies, more door-to-door outreach than ever before," said one local party worker. At the grassroots, Mamata’s personal connect remains a key factor. "Having the Chief Minister represent this area has always been a matter of pride for residents," said a resident.
Yet, the BJP insists the contest is no longer one-sided. “Mamata Banerjee has been an MLA for 15 years, but did not do anything for the constituency. They used to think that it would be a cakewalk. But not this time. The TMC’s hectic, door-to-door campaigning and the CM’s rallies and public meetings indicate that they are worried,” said Indrajit Khatik, the party’s South Kolkata general secretary.
As Bhabanipur votes, the bigger question remains - whether Mamata’s once unassailable bastion still holds, or whether narrowing margins signal a deeper political shift.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
