Twin blow: Mamata Banerjee faces big electoral setback, loses bastion Bhabanipur after TMC's crushing defeat

In a political earthquake that has sent shockwaves across West Bengal, BJP heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari has defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her own backyard Bhabanipur.

The crushing defeat follows Mamata Banerjee’s setback in 2021, when she contested against Suvendu Adhikari in his home turf of Nandigram and lost by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes.

Bhabanipur has long been a stronghold of Mamata Banerjee, who has represented the seat since 2011 without defeat. After taking office as chief minister that year, she won the bypoll from the constituency by a commanding margin of 54,213 votes.


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In 2016, the race became tighter, with Banerjee defeating Congress candidate Deepa Dasmunsi—backed by the Left—by 25,301 votes, even as the BJP made notable gains by polling over 26,000 votes.

In 2021, the All India Trinamool Congress retained the seat, with Sovandeb Chattopadhyay defeating BJP’s Rudranil Ghosh by 28,719 votes. The BJP’s vote share rose to 35.2%, reflecting its growing presence in the constituency.

Banerjee later returned to Bhabanipur via a bypoll, securing an even larger victory margin of 58,835 votes and cementing her third term as chief minister.

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Mamata Banerjee’s political journey began well before she rose to the top post, taking shape in the charged arena of student politics in the 1970s through the Chhatra Parishad. Those early years forged her signature style—direct, grassroots-driven and deeply connected to local networks.

She soon climbed the ranks within the Congress, and by 1990, had taken over as president of the West Bengal Youth Congress, marking her shift from campus activism to structured political leadership.

Her national breakthrough came even earlier, in 1984, when she won the Lok Sabha seat from Jadavpur at just 29, becoming one of the youngest MPs of her time. In Parliament, she quickly built a reputation as a combative and outspoken voice in the opposition.

Previously, Banerjee on Monday alleged that the BJP "looted" more than 100 seats and termed the Election Commission "the BJP's commission," calling the victory "immoral" and "illegal."

She said she had complained to the Chief Officer and Manoj Agrawal, but no action was taken. She termed the conduct of the Election Commission, along with the deployment of Central Forces and the role of the Prime Minister and Home Minister, as illegal.

Talking to the reporters, CM Banerjee said, "More than 100 seats BJP looted. The Election Commission is the BJP's commission. I complained to the CO and also Manoj Agrawal, but they are not doing anything. Do you think this is a victory? It is an immoral victory, not a moral victory. Whatever the Election Commission has done, along with the Central Forces and the PM & Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot. We will bounce back."

The Trinamool Congress chief further alleged irregularities at the counting centre, stating that violence began after 3 pm and that she was physically attacked. She claimed that CCTV cameras were switched off and that party agents were not permitted inside the centre despite assurances from the District Officer, who she said was later unavailable.