Mamata Banerjee vs Suvendu Adhikari Live: Bhabanipur has been a stronghold of the TMC since 2011, with Mamata Banerjee representing the seat multiple times as MLA.
Mamata Banerjee vs Suvendu Adhikari Live: All eyes will be on Bhabanipur on the decisive day of the West Bengal election 2026 as counting of votes begins later today. The constituency has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds this election, with both the sitting chief minister and a potential challenger contesting against each other from this seat.
Bhabanipur has been a stronghold of the TMC since 2011, with Mamata Banerjee representing the seat multiple times as MLA. Mamata won from here twice, in 2011 and then in 2016. But in 2016, it was Sovandeb Chattopadhyay who fought on a TMC ticket and won from here as Mamata had shifted her seat to Nandigram.
But in 2021, Mamata received one of the biggest shocks of her political career when she was defeated by BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram.
Following the defeat, Mamata needed to secure a seat to continue as chief minister. To make that happen, the sitting TMC MLA from Bhabanipur vacated the seat, paving the way for a by-election. Banerjee contested and won the bypoll, thereby becoming a member of the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha while already holding the CM’s post.
Bhabanipur is the most closely watched seat this election, not only because it sees a sitting CM fighting from there, but also because BJP has pitched Adhikari against her again after he defeated her in 2021 in Nandigram. Adhikari is fighting from two seats, Nandigram and Bhabanipur.
Drama in Bhabanipur, day after polling
A day after the second round of polling, Mamata spent hours at an EVM strongroom in her Bhabanipur constituency, raising concerns over possible malpractice. But Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said there was no scope for any wrongdoing at counting centres.
Following late-night tensions outside two counting centres in Kolkata on Thursday, police imposed prohibitory orders on gatherings near all seven strongrooms in the city.
Agarwal dismissed the allegations as “baseless”, stating that strongrooms are under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and live-streamed footage is accessible from outside. “There is no scope for wrongdoing given the security arrangements. Allegations must be backed by reason and evidence,” he said.
High drama unfolded at two Kolkata centres after TMC leaders flagged alleged lapses in transparency around strongrooms storing sealed EVMs from the Assembly polls held on April 29. Banerjee visited the Sakhawat Memorial School counting centre and stayed for nearly four hours, leaving after midnight while warning against any attempt to tamper with the counting process and calling for greater transparency.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused Banerjee of indulging in “dramabazi” (theatrics). Speaking at the BJP’s Bhabanipur election office, Adhikari said such actions would not influence the final outcome. “She may continue these antics for a couple of days, but the verdict will not change,” he added.
Bhabanipur has been a stronghold of the TMC since 2011, with Mamata Banerjee representing the seat multiple times as MLA. Mamata won from here twice, in 2011 and then in 2016. But in 2016, it was Sovandeb Chattopadhyay who fought on a TMC ticket and won from here as Mamata had shifted her seat to Nandigram.
But in 2021, Mamata received one of the biggest shocks of her political career when she was defeated by BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram.
Following the defeat, Mamata needed to secure a seat to continue as chief minister. To make that happen, the sitting TMC MLA from Bhabanipur vacated the seat, paving the way for a by-election. Banerjee contested and won the bypoll, thereby becoming a member of the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha while already holding the CM’s post.
Bhabanipur is the most closely watched seat this election, not only because it sees a sitting CM fighting from there, but also because BJP has pitched Adhikari against her again after he defeated her in 2021 in Nandigram. Adhikari is fighting from two seats, Nandigram and Bhabanipur.
Drama in Bhabanipur, day after polling
A day after the second round of polling, Mamata spent hours at an EVM strongroom in her Bhabanipur constituency, raising concerns over possible malpractice. But Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal said there was no scope for any wrongdoing at counting centres.
Following late-night tensions outside two counting centres in Kolkata on Thursday, police imposed prohibitory orders on gatherings near all seven strongrooms in the city.
Agarwal dismissed the allegations as “baseless”, stating that strongrooms are under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and live-streamed footage is accessible from outside. “There is no scope for wrongdoing given the security arrangements. Allegations must be backed by reason and evidence,” he said.
High drama unfolded at two Kolkata centres after TMC leaders flagged alleged lapses in transparency around strongrooms storing sealed EVMs from the Assembly polls held on April 29. Banerjee visited the Sakhawat Memorial School counting centre and stayed for nearly four hours, leaving after midnight while warning against any attempt to tamper with the counting process and calling for greater transparency.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused Banerjee of indulging in “dramabazi” (theatrics). Speaking at the BJP’s Bhabanipur election office, Adhikari said such actions would not influence the final outcome. “She may continue these antics for a couple of days, but the verdict will not change,” he added.
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May 04, 2026 7:03:19 AM IST
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