Bhabanipur

Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in West Bengal has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds of the 2026 state elections, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee facing BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in a politically charged contest.

The constituency is witnessing a repeat of the rivalry between the two leaders, who previously faced off in Nandigram during the 2021 Assembly elections, where Adhikari defeated Banerjee by 1,956 votes. Following that loss, Banerjee entered the Assembly through the Bhabanipur bypoll after MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the seat.

Bhabanipur has traditionally been a stronghold for the Trinamool Congress. In the 2021 election, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay won the seat by 28,719 votes against BJP’s Rudranil Ghosh. In 2016, Banerjee defeated Congress leader Deepa Dasmunshi by 25,301 votes.

This year, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has become a major campaign issue. Allegations over deletion of voter names have sparked controversy. After filing her nomination, Banerjee said her party would approach the courts again if valid voters were not restored to the rolls.

Emphasising her long connection with the constituency, Banerjee said Bhabanipur has been her home since childhood and expressed confidence that the Trinamool Congress would return to power.

The TMC campaign is focusing heavily on welfare schemes, particularly targeting women voters. The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme and the party’s “10 Pledges” manifesto are central to its outreach in the constituency, where women have historically voted in significant numbers.

The BJP, meanwhile, is centring its campaign on issues such as illegal immigration, border security, unemployment, corruption and women’s safety. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has campaigned for Adhikari, promising stricter border control and stronger law enforcement.

READ MORE: Why Indians are remembering Homi J. Bhabha amid war, global fuel crisis

Bhabanipur will vote in the second phase of polling on April 29, with results to be declared on May 4. Besides the TMC and BJP, Congress has fielded Pradip Prasad, while the Left has nominated Srijib Biswas, making it a multi-cornered contest.