Mamata loses even in her own ward as Suvendu delivers on Amit Shah’s challenge

Suvendu Adhikari not only unseated Mamata Banerjee from Bhabanipur but also defeated her in her own ward, turning Amit Shah’s “defeat Mamata in her own turf” call into a striking political victory.

Election Commission booth-wise data highlighted the scale of Adhikari’s performance in Bhabanipur, where he led in 207 of the constituency’s 267 polling booths. He also secured a decisive lead in Ward No. 73, which includes Banerjee’s Kalighat residence area, receiving 8,932 votes compared with her 4,284.

Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Amit Shah had publicly said his message to Adhikari was clear: “Mamata ko unke ghar mein ja kar harana hai” — defeat Mamata on her own turf.

Despite coming from Kanthi, roughly 150 kilometres away and with no prior political base in south Kolkata, Adhikari managed to build overwhelming support in the constituency.

He secured 63 per cent of the vote share, while Banerjee finished with 30 per cent.

The booth-level figures also reflected the scale of the setback. In several booths across Bhabanipur, Banerjee reportedly received fewer than 50 votes despite each booth having roughly 400–700 voters.

The result marks a major reversal from 2021, when Banerjee swept all seven wards in the Bhabanipur bypoll after losing to Adhikari in Nandigram. This time, however, Bhabanipur shifted decisively, with Banerjee securing 58,812 votes against Adhikari’s 73,917.