Kolkata/IBNS: In a show of strength, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lead a roadshow on Thursday in support of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bhabanipur candidate Suvendu Adhikari ahead of the filing of his nomination.
The rally will proceed from Hazra More to the Survey Building, where Adhikari is scheduled to submit his nomination papers.
Shah is also likely to be present during the filing, a move seen by many as the BJP projecting Adhikari as its chief ministerial face in West Bengal.
The roadshow assumes significance as Adhikari takes on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, a constituency considered a stronghold of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Adhikari is also contesting from Nandigram, where he had defeated Banerjee in the previous Assembly elections, prompting her to seek re-election through a bypoll to continue as Chief Minister.
Launching his campaign in Bhabanipur last month, Adhikari claimed he would defeat Banerjee for the second time in his political career by a margin of at least 25,000 votes.
“I will defeat Mamata Banerjee by a margin of at least 25,000 votes... I will defeat her again, handing her a second loss against me. Narendra Modi has directed me to contest from these seats and ensure her defeat,” Adhikari said.
Bhabanipur has since emerged as a high-profile battleground, with Adhikari asserting that he would replicate his Nandigram victory against Banerjee.
Adding to the political stakes, over 47,000 names were reportedly deleted from the electoral roll in the constituency during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), sparking concerns among analysts ahead of the polls.
However, projecting confidence, Banerjee dismissed concerns over voter deletions and asserted she would win from Bhabanipur “even by a single vote”.
“I have unwavering faith in the people. I serve them year-round—this isn’t a one-day battle for me,” she said.
“We will win from Bhabanipur by a bigger margin. It’s just one of the 294 constituencies for us,” the Chief Minister added.