Kolkata, April 29: An intriguing political moment unfolded in Bhawanipur, Kolkata, during the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari arrived simultaneously at a polling station in Ward 73 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Despite their coinciding presence, no conversation took place between the two leaders, intensifying the electoral atmosphere.
This incident occurred as voting continued across 142 seats in South Bengal on Wednesday morning. Bhawanipur has emerged as one of the most talked-about constituencies, primarily contested between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
The political significance of the Bhawanipur seat is heightened as it has traditionally been a stronghold for Mamata Banerjee. In light of this, the BJP has fielded Suvendu Adhikari as a formidable challenger. Adhikari is also contesting from the Nandigram seat, where he defeated Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly elections. Voting in Nandigram has already taken place in the first phase.
The contest in Bhawanipur is seen as a ‘rematch’ of the electoral battle in Nandigram. Notably, Suvendu Adhikari was once regarded as a close aide and protégé of Mamata Banerjee. However, he switched allegiance to the BJP before the 2021 elections.
For both parties, the Bhawanipur seat has become a matter of prestige. For the Trinamool Congress, it is tied to the credibility of the Chief Minister in her own constituency. For the BJP, particularly for Suvendu Adhikari, winning here would send a significant political message.
Since 2011, Bhawanipur has been a bastion for the Trinamool Congress. Senior leader Subhrat Bakshi won here initially and later vacated the seat, allowing Mamata Banerjee to enter the Assembly through a by-election after becoming Chief Minister. She retained this seat in 2016 as well.
In 2021, Mamata Banerjee contested from Nandigram but faced defeat against Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of 1,956 votes. She then made a comeback by winning the Bhawanipur by-election, defeating BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal by over 58,000 votes.
As voting unfolds, Bhawanipur remains at the forefront of political headlines, becoming the epicenter of the state’s politics and the current electoral competition.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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