Accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday filed his nomination papers as the partyโs candidate for the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, marking a high-voltage start to his campaign.
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Adhikari submitted his nomination at the Alipore Survey Building after a massive roadshow that began at Hazra Crossing. The procession, dubbed the โVijay Sankalp Sabhaโ (Victory Pledge Rally), saw Shah and Adhikari riding atop a decorated tableau, showering rose petals as they moved through South Kolkata.
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The rally drew large crowds, with BJP supporters waving saffron flags and raising slogans. However, tensions briefly flared in nearby Kalighat as workers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) raised counter-slogans, leading to a charged atmosphere in the area.
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Also present during the roadshow were BJP candidates Swapan Dasgupta (Rashbehari) and Satarupa (Ballygunge), signalling the partyโs strong push in key South Kolkata constituencies.
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Addressing a gathering at Hazra, Shah made bold electoral predictions, asserting that the BJP would win more than 170 seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
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โWe will keep winning seats until we cross 170. Only then will real change come,โ he said.
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Highlighting Bhabanipurโs strategic importance, Shah described it as a potential turning point in the stateโs political landscape. โIf we win Bhabanipur, change across Bengal will follow automatically,โ he claimed, appealing to voters to ensure Adhikariโs victory by a large margin.
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Shah also revealed that the decision for Adhikari to contest from Bhabanipurโconsidered the political stronghold of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeeโwas a calculated move.
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โWe must not stop at Nandigram alone; we must enter her home turf and defeat her there,โ he said.
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Taking a swipe at Mamata, Shah recalled the previous Assembly elections, noting that while she formed the government, she had lost the Nandigram seat to Adhikari. He asserted that this time, the BJP aims to defeat her both across the state and in Bhabanipur.
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In a major campaign announcement, Shah said he would stay in West Bengal for around 15 days during the election period to intensify the BJPโs outreach. He also raised issues of national security, calling for stricter border controls and action against illegal infiltration.
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Meanwhile, the ruling TMC dismissed the BJPโs show of strength, stating that such rallies would have little impact. Party leaders asserted that the people of Bengal would respond decisively at the ballot box.
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With Adhikari contesting from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, political observers believe the BJP is mounting an aggressive challenge in the upcoming elections, further intensifying the stateโs already heated political contest.