Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari kicked off his West Bengal Assembly election campaign in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency Thursday. Arriving from Delhi early in the morning, the BJP leader chose Ward 70 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to begin his outreach ahead of another high-voltage contest against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
On the streets of Chakberia Road, ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters painted walls with slogans for “Bengal’s daughter”, Mamata Banerjee. On the other hand, BJP workers put up their posters all over the area.
The BJP’s reception for Adhikari was festive, with traditional drummers, garlands, and sweets. While BJP workers chanted “Jai Shri Ram”, nearby TMC supporters countered with “Joy Bangla”. A large police presence served as a human barrier to prevent any clashes between the two factions.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a TMC supporter said, “Our chief minister is the daughter of this area and this state. Adhikari is a cheat, and he will not win. He will never think of contesting from Bhabanipur again.”
For context, in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly Election, Banerjee took a major political gamble, deciding not to contest from her traditional seat of Bhabanipur and instead challenging Adhikari, her former aide-turned-rival, in his stronghold of Nandigram. In a highly controversial and close finish, she lost to Adhikari by 1,956 votes.
Despite Banerjee’s personal loss, the TMC won a landslide victory across the state. She then took oath as chief minister and later won from the Bhabanipur seat in a bypoll held later in 2021.
On Thursday, Adhikari’s campaign was met with rose petals from residents in several apartment buildings. After a brief meeting at the local party office to boost worker morale, he addressed the media and made a bold prediction.
“Mamata will lose again. We will win from here. She has been the CM of West Bengal for the last 15 years. They have destroyed the state, so it is very important to defeat her and her party.”
Adhikari said he had got a good response from the people of the area and that they urged him to save them from the “atrocitites of the TMC”.
“Hindus and Muslims are both affected by the current situation. Today is Hindu Navratri, and as a Hindu, I feel compelled to speak out. There has been significant appeasement politics, but it has not benefited Muslims, as there has been no real development. I believe the BJP will win the Bhabanipur seat by a margin of over 25,000 votes,” he said.
Following the campaign, Adhikari led a rally to the Bhabanipur police station, where he reportedly filed a complaint alleging attacks on BJP workers in the area.
Adhikari is also contesting from his home turf, Nandigram. The TMC has fielded Pabitra Kar, a former close aide of Adhikari who recently defected back to the TMC, against him.