Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is set to file his nomination from the Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata on Thursday as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The visit marks a significant moment in the run-up to a closely watched electoral battle.
Shah, who arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday night, will participate in a major roadshow alongside Adhikari before the nomination filing.
The procession will begin from Hazra crossing around noon and move towards the Alipore Survey Building, where Adhikari will formally file his nomination.
Both leaders will walk the final stretch before he submits his papers.
The Bhabanipur contest has drawn widespread attention as Adhikari faces Mamata Banerjee, the sitting Trinamool Congress legislator and Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Adhikari is also contesting from Nandigram, his home constituency in East Midnapore, where he previously secured a narrow victory over Banerjee in 2021.
Following that defeat, Banerjee won a by-election from Bhabanipur, retaining her position as Chief Minister for a third consecutive term.
The renewed face-off between the two leaders has added further intensity to the political landscape in the state.
This year’s Bhabanipur election is also under scrutiny due to changes in the voter list.
Authorities reportedly removed around 47,000 names from the final electoral roll published in February, while they are reviewing several others due to ‘logical discrepancies’.
Mamata Banerjee accused the Election Commission of large-scale voter deletions but remains confident of victory.
The Bhabanipur contest has taken centre stage, reflecting key issues of electoral strategy and governance in West Bengal.
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