West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is set to retain the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency while vacating Nandigram after securing victories from both seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The move comes after his high-profile triumph over TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, a constituency long considered one of the TMC’s safest strongholds.
Bhabanipur Emerges As Biggest Symbolic Win
Adhikari’s victory in Bhabanipur has triggered intense political debate across West Bengal. He defeated Mamata Banerjee by a margin of more than 15,000 votes, handing the TMC chief a major political setback in her traditional bastion.
Bhabanipur has remained closely associated with Banerjee for years and has been viewed as a symbol of Trinamool Congress dominance in Kolkata. After losing to Adhikari in Nandigram during the 2021 Assembly elections, Banerjee had successfully contested the Bhabanipur bypoll to return as Chief Minister.
The BJP’s success in the constituency during the 2026 election is now being seen as a defining moment in Bengal politics, with party leaders projecting it as evidence of a major shift in voter sentiment.
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Why Adhikari Kept Bhabanipur
Political observers said Adhikari decided to retain Bhabanipur because of the larger political message attached to the victory. Defeating Banerjee in a seat considered a TMC fortress was viewed as more significant than continuing with Nandigram, where the BJP had already established a strong presence.
Adhikari also secured a bigger victory margin in Bhabanipur compared to Nandigram, further reinforcing his decision to represent the Kolkata constituency in the Assembly.
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