In Kolkata, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sparked a sharp debate this Saturday after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the party of trying to bring outsiders into her Bhabanipur constituency for the upcoming 2026 West Bengal assembly elections.
The CM said that the BJP was trying to register non‑residents as voters in Bhabanipur. “Some people stay in guest houses or hotels and others buy flats,” she explained. “None of them live in the area, yet they appear on voter rolls at two different places.” The remarks came after she opened a Kali Puja setup in the city.
BJP’s IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya, slid a snide X post (formerly Twitter) mocking Banerjee’s claim. “It’s absurd that people are buying flats just to vote against her,” he wrote. The post also hinted that the BJP’s loss in 2011 at Nandigram still haunts her.
Political sharp‑tongue Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP’s leader of the opposition in the state assembly, also warned that Banerjee would lose her seat in Bhabanipur next year. “I beat her in Nandigram last cycle,” he said. “Next year she’ll lose in Bhabanipur—her own ward.”
Banerjee was defeated by Adhikari in 2021 from Nandigram, a constituency in East Midnapore. She later returned to power after winning a by‑poll in Bhabanipur and leading the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to a third consecutive term as chief minister.
Bhabanipur sits within the Kolkata (Dakshin) parliamentary seat. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, TMC’s Mala Roy, who was re‑elected from that seat, fell short of winning most municipal wards in Bhabanipur and the neighboring Rashbehari area.
The Chief Minister herself is a voter in Ward 73 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, drawing attention to her local ties. As the 2026 assembly elections approach, the BJP‑TMC rivalry over Bhabanipur remains one of the most watched battles in West Bengal politics.
Source: ianslive
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
