Bengal polls phase 2: Mamata, Suvendu land in same booth area in Bhabanipur

In a high-voltage morning that felt straight out of a political face-off, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari found themselves in the same polling pocket of Bhabanipur’s Chakraberia on Wednesday, 29 April — close enough to trade barbs, but not quite close enough to exchange pleasantries.

The two never came face-to-face, but their parallel presence in ward number 70 said plenty about the prestige battle playing out in the chief minister’s backyard. Banerjee stationed herself on the verandah of a local party office, responding to complaints of alleged intimidation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders. Across the road, Adhikari rolled in with a sizeable Central forces escort and wasted no time going on the offensive, claiming Banerjee had realised that “not a single vote” was coming her way.

If proximity fuels politics, this was a masterclass. While Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to “rig” the election using Central forces, police observers and election officials, Adhikari brushed it off as “frustration”, arguing that the chief minister was “scared” now that state police were no longer in charge of polling.

“She is scared. Her police have been replaced by central forces, which is why she is scared. The EC has deployed CAPFs here, so if she has any problem, she should approach them. Why have 40-50 people come with her?” Adhikari said.

He added a dash of intrigue, claiming that Union home minister Amit Shah had also called him. Adhikari didn’t stop there, accusing Banerjee of moving with “50-60 goons” despite prohibitory orders under Section 163.

“She is a candidate. She can certainly visit booths. But why this goodagardi (hooliganism)? I have complained to the Kolkata DEO. No one will be allowed to indulge in intimidation this time,” he said.

Planting his flag firmly in Chakraberia, he even slipped into campaign mode: “No one is voting for her. People should be allowed to vote freely. I will win Bhabanipur with a margin of at least 30,000 votes.”

Banerjee, meanwhile, had already signalled that this was no ordinary polling day. Breaking from her usual routine of stepping out from Kalighat only in the afternoon to vote at Mitra Institution School, she hit the ground before 8.00 am — a clear nod to the stakes in Bhabanipur and the broader contest across south Bengal.

As polling began across 142 constituencies in the second and final phase, Banerjee moved briskly through Chetla, Padmapukur and Chakraberia, making booth visits and fielding questions. “The BJP wants to rig this election. Elections in West Bengal are usually peaceful. Is there goonda raj here?” she asked reporters, alleging that democratic norms had been badly undermined.

Her allegations came thick and fast. She accused Central forces and election observers of acting at the BJP’s behest and claimed TMC workers were being selectively targeted.

“Several observers have come from outside and are acting as per the BJP's directions. They are going to police stations and creating pressure. They are calling for the arrest of all TMC agents. My party's youth president was picked up this morning and later released,” she said.

Painting a picture of a tense overnight build-up, Banerjee said she and TMC national general-secretary Abhishek Banerjee had monitored developments through the night. “Atrocities took place across West Bengal last night. We were awake the entire night. Our workers are ready to die, but we will not allow democracy to be murdered.”

She also alleged that outsiders had been brought into Bhabanipur and that all TMC flags were removed before polling began. Showing videos to reporters, she claimed Central forces had visited the home of a councillor in ward number 70 when only his wife was present. “When central forces went there, his wife was alone at home. She was threatened and even told her phone could be taken away. Is this how elections are conducted?” she asked.

Earlier, during a stop in Chetla near the residence of Kolkata Port TMC candidate and city mayor Firhad Hakim, Banerjee alleged further harassment. “Late at night, they went to his house and banged on the door. His wife was there. Women were terrified,” she said.

She also flagged alleged unrest in Bhangar and accused the Election Commission of failing to remain neutral. “These people are doing all these things and then asking for votes. Will people vote for them? They want to win by force,” she said.

The BJP, for its part, rejected the charges outright, accusing Banerjee of trying to muddy the waters after sensing public anger against the ruling party.

Adhikari, who began his day with prayers at temples in Khidirpur, ran a tightly coordinated operation from multiple points — Nizam Palace, the Chakraberia BJP office and ICCR — while making rounds of booth areas and interacting with voters.