West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set for a direct face-off with her former aide-turned-political rival, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, in the Bhabanipur constituency of south Kolkata, turning the contest into one of the most high-profile battles of this election season. Banerjee, along with her nephew and Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, unveiled a list of 291 candidates for the two-phase Assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and April 29. She also announced that the party would not field candidates in three Darjeeling seats, honouring an understanding with the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha.
In a notable shift, Mamata Banerjee will not contest from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, the constituency where she suffered defeat against Adhikari in the previous election. Instead, the Trinamool Congress has nominated Pabitra Kar—once a close associate of Adhikari who recently crossed over to the party—from Nandigram. The BJP, meanwhile, released its first list of 144 candidates on Tuesday. Adhikari, currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, will contest from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur. His candidature in two constituencies is being seen as politically significant. Although the BJP has not officially named a chief ministerial face, fielding Adhikari in two key seats signals the party’s confidence in his leadership role in the campaign.
Adhikari, once regarded as one of Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted lieutenants and often seen as the unofficial number two in the Trinamool Congress, now stands as her principal challenger. While Nandigram remains Adhikari’s stronghold, his entry into Bhabanipur is widely viewed as a direct challenge to Banerjee on her home turf. The constituency has long been a bastion of her political influence. Before assuming the chief minister’s office and vacating the seat, Mamata Banerjee had represented South Kolkata in the Lok Sabha six consecutive times.
The TMC’s candidate list highlights a strong emphasis on social inclusion and diversity. Women make up nearly 50 per cent of the candidates, signalling a continued push towards gender representation. The party has also nominated around 95 candidates from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, including 78 from SC communities, alongside 47 candidates from minority groups. The demographic spread also reflects generational diversity, with four candidates under the age of 31, 38 candidates in the 31–40 age group, and about 31 per cent falling within the 41–50 age bracket. Banerjee announced that the party will not contest three seats in Darjeeling as part of an understanding with the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, indicating strategic alliances in key regions.