Suvendu Adhikari leads Mamata Banerjee from Bhabanipur
What's the story
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trailing in the Bhabanipur constituency against the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Suvendu Adhikari. The counting of votes started at 8:00am IST on Monday and as of 8:45am, trends show Banerjee behind. The contest is particularly interesting as it features a sitting CM against a rival and former TMC member who had previously defeated her in Nandigram during the 2021 election.
Political significance
Why is Bhabanipur important for Mamata?
The Bhabanipur seat has been a Trinamool Congress (TMC) bastion since 2011. She had won from here in both 2011 and 2016. However, in the 2021 elections, she shifted to Nandigram, where Adhikari defeated her in a major political upset. After that defeat, the sitting TMC MLA from Bhabanipur vacated the seat and a bypoll was held, which Mamata won, returning to the assembly while continuing as CM.
Election dynamics
Tensions high ahead of counting
In this election, the BJP fielded Adhikari against Banerjee again, but this time from Bhabanipur. He is contesting from two seats: Nandigram and Bhabanipur. Tensions were high even before counting began with allegations of power cuts, CCTV shutdowns, and a verbal spat between party agents outside the counting center at Sakhawat Memorial School.
Pre-counting actions
Adhikari prays; Mamata urges party workers to stay vigilant
Before the counting of votes began, Adhikari prayed at the Laxmi Narayan Temple. He told ANI, "I offered prayers at the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. God is with us. A government that protects the interests of Sanatan Dharma is coming." Meanwhile, Banerjee urged her party workers to remain vigilant against any possible foul play during vote counting.