Bengal assembly election: Suvendu Adhikari hits the street in CM lair, vows to defeat Mamata Banerjee by 25,000 votes

KOLKATA: Leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday launched his campaign in Bhowanipore, beginning with a visit to Bhowanipore Police Station to lodge a complaint over alleged attacks on local BJP workers.

Returning from Delhi in the morning, Adhikari headed to Chakraberia Road, where he was welcomed by party supporters with traditional drummers, garlands and sweets. Some workers showered rose petals on him.




Buoyed by the reception, Adhikari declared he would defeat chief minister Mamata Banerjee by a margin of over 25,000 votes. “I will visit the house next to the CM’s residence for campaigning. No one can stop me,” he said.

In the 2021 assembly elections, Adhikari defeated Banerjee by 1,956 votes in Nandigram. This time, he is contesting from both Nandigram and Bhowanipore, where Banerjee is his rival. “Mamata will lose again. She has been the CM for the past 15 years. They have destroyed the state. So, it is important to defeat her and her party,” he said.

On Chakraberia Road, Trinamool supporters have painted walls with slogans hailing Mamata Banerjee as “Bengal’s daughter”, while BJP workers have plastered the area with their posters. Tension flared briefly as workers from both sides came face to face. BJP supporters raised “Jai Shri Ram” slogans after spotting a group of TMC workers nearby, who responded with “Jai Bangla”. A heavy police presence in the area formed a human barrier, preventing a clash.

Adhikari interacted with local residents, seeking their votes. Claiming a positive response, he said, “Both Hindus and Muslims are affected by the current situation. Today is Navratri, and as a Hindu, I feel compelled to speak out. There has been appeasement politics, but it has not brought real development for Muslims. I am confident of winning the Bhowanipore seat by a margin of over 25,000 votes.”

Trinamool spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar said, “It is better not to react to what Adhikari says or does. All political statements and predictions he has made since joining the BJP in Dec 2020 have proved farcical. The only thing he predicts accurately is when the ED and CBI will conduct raids, as those are his party’s units. Mamata Banerjee is going to win Bhowanipore with an increased margin.”