Kolkata: The political battlefield in West Bengal is heating up as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its first list of 144 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.
This sets the stage for a high-stakes rematch between Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee and her former aide-turned-rival, Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, has been fielded from two key constituencies: Nandigram, where he famously defeated Banerjee in the 2021 polls, and Bhawanipur, long considered Banerjee’s impregnable fortress. While Banerjee’s choice of seat remains unconfirmed, speculation is rife that she will defend her turf in Bhawanipur.
This could reignite the fierce Mamata vs Suvenda duel that captivated the state five years ago.
Bhawanipur has been Banerjee’s bastion since 2011, when her TMC ousted the Left Front government. She has triumphed there thrice, including a resounding by-poll victory in 2021 with over 50,000 votes after her Nandigram setback. Nandigram, ironically, was the cradle of Banerjee’s rise, where she and Adhikari united against land acquisition policies. Adhikari, who started his career with TMC in 2006 and rose to become a key minister, switched to BJP ahead of the 2021 elections, transforming himself from ally to adversary.
Recent voter list revisions have stirred controversy, with 44,787 names struck off in Bhawanipur — nearly four times more than Nandigram’s 10,599 deletions — out of their respective totals.
The elections will unfold in two phases: April 23 for 152 seats and April 29 for 142 seats, with results on May 4. As Bengal braces for another polarised contest, all eyes are on whether Adhikari can breach Banerjee’s citadel.