BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari defeated Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes, his second victory over the TMC supremo.
Bhabanipur Election Results 2026 Live: Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur (PTI)
In a massive upset in West Bengal, “giant-slayer” Suvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo in her home turf of Bhabanipur with a massive margin of 15,000 votes, becoming the first leader to defeat the Chief Minister twice in five years.
After the final round of counting, Suvendu Adhikari received 73,463 votes in his favour, while Mamata Banerjee managed to get 58,349, as per official data.
This defeat will particularly sting the Trinamool Congress, as the seat was considered Banerjee’s stronghold in south Bengal and reinforced Adhikari’s reputation as a formidable challenger. What makes the outcome more significant is that Adhikari was a rising star in the TMC and a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, who is now her biggest rival, having defeated her twice.
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Why Bhabanipur Is Important?
Bhabanipur is not merely a seat; it holds the key to the TMC supremo’s dominance in Bengal. With the entry of Adhikari in the political fray, the electoral contest became a prestige battle with the Chief Minister striking a confident note about retaining the constituency she has represented since 2011.
During a bypoll here in 2021, Mamata Banerjee secured a massive victory over the BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal, securing over 84,000 votes. A win over Adhikari would have reinforced somewhat of Banerjee’s dominance in Bengal’s politics, even if the TMC was reduced to just 77 seats in the face of the BJP’s surge in 2026.
READ MORE: ‘Bengali Hindus Voted For Me’: Suvendu Adhikari Calls His Bhabanipur Victory A Win For Hindutva
However, despite a lot of drama involving Banerjee sitting at an EVM strongroom for four hours at night, the TMC supremo fell to Adhikari, echoing a similar battle of 2021 in Nandigram. The 15,000-vote margin signalled a massive dip in Banerjee’s popularity in her bastion and the shift towards the saffron rule.
Adhikari’s victory over Mamata Banerjee is far more than just an electoral win, it amounts to a political earthquake. Bhabanipur had been Mamata Banerjee’s constituency since 2011 and had determined the 71-year-old leader’s dominance in south Bengal. Defeated by 15,000 votes, Mamata Banerjee’s downfall in Bhabanipur is expected to alter the political landscape of Bengal, leaving no administrative control within the TMC.
“This was very important. Defeating Mamata Banerjee was crucial. This is Mamata Banerjee’s retirement from politics… This time, too, she lost by over 15,000 votes,” Adhikari said after his victory.
Echo Of 2021 Battle
This is Adhikari’s second victory over Banerjee in five years, after the much-talked-about 2021 contest in Nandigram – where he defeated her by a narrow margin. The political rivalry of Banerjee and Adhikari has redefined Bengal politics since 2021.
Their bitter feud began in 2020 when Suvendu Adhikari quit the TMC and joined the BJP, launching a fierce attack on Mamata Banerjee and her government. In a high-stakes move, Mamata Banerjee chose to contest from Nandigram to prove that her political base remained intact, but Adhikari gained prominence by defeating her by 1,956 votes.
Cut to 2026, Adhikari has won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, but it is the latter that will boost his reputation as a serious contender as he defeated his former mentor.
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