An unusual and striking development marked the beginning of the second phase of polling in the West Bengal Assembly elections, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to the streets within an hour of voting commencing at 7:00 am on Wednesday.
Mamata, who is also the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from the high-profile Bhawanipur constituency, began her morning tour in Chetla. She was seen engaging in a detailed discussion with Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim while seated in her car. Following this, she proceeded to visit multiple polling booths across Chakraberia before moving on to Beltala, closely monitoring the voting process on the ground.
Political observers have described the early-morning mobilisation as unprecedented. Even during the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021, when Mamata contested from Nandigram, she had not made such an early and active presence at polling stations. Her swift ground-level engagement today signals the significance of Bhawanipur in the current electoral battle.
Bhawanipur has emerged as one of the most closely watched constituencies in this phase. The contest pits Mamata against senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, intensifying political tensions in the area. The rivalry between the two leaders dates back to the 2021 elections, when Adhikari defeated Mamata in Nandigram by a narrow margin.
That election was later mired in controversy, with the TMC alleging irregularities, including a “load-shedding” incident at the counting centre that it claimed influenced the outcome. While those allegations remain disputed, their echoes continue to resonate in the ongoing contest.
As polling progresses in Bhawanipur, all eyes remain on the constituency, where a high-stakes political showdown is unfolding amid heightened security and voter turnout.
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