Suvendu Adhikari keeps Bhabanipur seat to block Mamata Banerjee's electoral return
· India · Times of India, The Hindu
West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said he vacated his Nandigram stronghold to prevent his predecessor Mamata Banerjee from contesting the Bhabanipur bypoll, noting he had already defeated her twice, including in Bhabanipur in April 2026. He stated retaining the seat was necessary to block another electoral opportunity for Banerjee, who won the Bhabanipur bypoll after losing to him in Nandigram in 2021. Adhikari also suggested Banerjee, at 75 years old, should retire from electoral politics and take rest at home rather than contest further elections. The chief minister made the remarks after BJP MLAs Hasirani Rath and Shakharav Sarkar were sworn in following their victories in Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls.
Why it matters
The decision directly blocks Mamata Banerjee from contesting the Bhabanipur bypoll, preserving Adhikari's electoral dominance in the constituency she previously won after defeating him in Nandigram.
Read the original report — Times of India
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.