The political landscape in West Bengal is already taking shape well ahead of the assembly elections. The BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are both actively preparing their strategies. The opposition leader, Suvendu Adhikari, is focusing on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s constituency, while the TMC is targeting the BJP’s stronghold, Nandigram.
According to BJP insiders, Suvendu Adhikari has started preparations in Bhawanipur, including strengthening the party at the booth level and conducting surveys to understand the party’s past performance in the area. The aim is to analyze where the party gained and lost votes in the 2021 elections.
Adhikari’s stance is that Mamata Banerjee’s influence in Bhawanipur will be limited. The BJP is collecting voter data and plans to establish an office in the constituency.
Following the uproar over the special intensive revision of voter lists in Bihar, Adhikari cautioned that similar measures would be taken in Bengal, with thousands of fake names set to be removed to prevent fraudulent voting.
The TMC is also quietly but consistently adjusting its strategy in Nandigram, where Mamata Banerjee won by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes in the 2021 election. Party insiders report that TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other senior leaders have been meeting with district and block-level organizers to strengthen their presence in Adhikari’s constituency. A TMC leader confirmed these meetings, highlighting the need for a dedicated strategy for Nandigram and the upcoming meeting with booth presidents.
Political analysts believe the battle is not just between Bhawanipur and Nandigram anymore but has become a direct contest between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari, as well as Abhishek Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari. Both sides want to prove that the other’s stronghold is not impenetrable. The focus remains on the TMC’s next moves in Nandigram, with a highly competitive election expected.