West Bengal elections 2026: Suvendu Adhikari takes early lead against Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur

Bhabanipur seatAdhikari’s contest in Bhabanipur carries weight. Once a close aide of Banerjee and a key organiser in the Trinamool Congress, he is now her principal challenger from the BJP.

Bhabanipur has long been considered Mamata Banerjee’s political stronghold. The seat is closely tied to her leadership identity since 2011. For Adhikari, the seat represented one of the toughest electoral challenges of his career, as he attempted to penetrate a voter base that has repeatedly backed the CM.

Suvendu Adhikari in West Bengal elections 2026Adhikari’s political reputation has been built on hard-fought electoral contests. His most significant victory came in Nandigram in 2021, where he defeated Banerjee by a narrow margin in one of Bengal’s most intense political battles.