Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the nomination filing of Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur on Thursday, signaling the BJP’s intensified push in the state ahead of the Assembly elections. Sources say the decision to field Adhikari against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile constituency was finalised by Shah, national President Nitin Nabin, and other central leaders following a “green signal” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Barring any last-minute official engagements at the Home Ministry, Shah is likely to attend the event marking Adhikari’s Bhabanipur nomination. Prior to the submission, he may address a public rally at Hazra crossing, followed by a one-kilometer roadshow leading to the vicinity of the Survey Building, with the final 200 meters covered on foot, according to BJP sources.
Adhikari had filed his nomination as the party’s candidate for the Nandigram Assembly constituency on Monday, in an event attended by senior Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Dilip Ghosh. Political observers note that Shah’s presence in Bhabanipur would carry symbolic weight, demonstrating the central leadership’s trust in Adhikari while signaling that the BJP is fully committed to contesting in Bengal with unprecedented intensity.
A section of politically conscious voters in West Bengal had long speculated about a tacit understanding between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Sources reveal that Adhikari had proposed two ways to dispel this perception: either through active investigations by central agencies into alleged corruption by TMC leaders or by directly challenging Mamata in Bhabanipur. The party found the latter option more appealing, believing that a political contest would send a stronger message to voters than law enforcement action alone.
The BJP leadership reportedly drew lessons from the Jharkhand Assembly elections, where the Enforcement Directorate’s arrest of Chief Minister Hemant Soren failed to create a public perception of accountability, instead generating sympathy for him. Party strategists concluded that a direct political challenge, rather than relying solely on legal measures, would be a more effective route to victory in Bhabanipur.
With Shah’s anticipated presence, Adhikari’s nomination filing is poised to be a high-stakes affair, reflecting the BJP’s strategic emphasis on Bengal and the party’s determination to make the Bhabanipur contest a focal point of its campaign.
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