- By Aditya Jha
- Tue, 17 Mar 2026 03:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bengal Polls: With just a few weeks remaining in the West Bengal election, all the major parties have intensified their campaigns to appeal to the voters. The BJP announced its first list of 144 candidates on Monday, fielding its key leader Suvendu Adhikari in two seats- Nandigram and Bhabanipur. While Nandigram has been his stronghold, Adhikari is set to challenge the dominance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, a seat she has retained for the past three terms.
Relations Between Adhikari And Banerjee
Earlier in the 2021 assembly election, Adhikari defeated his former boss Banerjee in Nandigram; however, the TMC still managed to win the elections. Once considered Banerjee's political heir, Adhikari has publicly expressed his desires of finishing her politics. Adhikari is a major political face in Purba Medinipur and is known for his organisational skills.
He stood tall with Banerjee during the struggle days and later became transport minister in 2016, with many considering him the future of the party. However, Adhikari left TMC to join its archrival BJP in 2020 due to several reasons, including the rise of Abhishek Banerjee and the involvement of poll strategist Prashant Kishor in the party's decisions.
TMC' Bold Move
While the saffron party has not announced its chief ministerial candidate yet, Adhikari has emerged as the tallest figure in the past few years. However, Adhikari is likely to face a new challenge this time as Pabitra Kar, a former BJP leader and his loyalist, joined TMC on Tuesday. The ruling party is also likely to offer Kar a ticket from Nandigram, making the contest more regional.
Apart from this, defeating Banerjee in Bhabanipur will not be a cakewalk for him, as the chief minister enjoys mass popularity in South Bengal, especially among the women. The polls in Bengal will be held in two phases- April 23 and April 29-and the results will be announced on May 4.