Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE: Showdown in Bhabanipur; chaos erupts as Mamata, Suvendu hold rival rallies 100 metres apart

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West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee, during a campaign for the upcoming second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections at Bhabanipur area, in Kolkata.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee, during a campaign for the upcoming second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections at Bhabanipur area, in Kolkata. | Photo Credit: ANI

The high-stakes battle for Bhabanipur reached a boiling point on Saturday (April 26, 2026) as a confrontation between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP workers forced security personnel to intervene. The incident unfolded just days before the crucial April 29 polling date, as the constituency’s two primary contenders — Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari — held public meetings within earshot of each other.

The tension marks a dramatic escalation in the “battle of Bhabanipur,” a seat Ms. Banerjee has held since 2011 but which the BJP has made its “biggest target” in the 2026 Assembly elections.

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Citing a “systematic breakdown of law and order,” the Congress party demanded the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for the immediate arrest of Papai Ghosh, whom they describe as a notorious repeat offender responsible for orchestrating violence in the Berhampore Assembly Constituency (AC-72). The formal complaint, authored by Niloy Pramanik and addressed to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, alleges that the administration’s continued inaction has directly “emboldened” Mr. Ghosh and his associates to carry out escalating acts of brutality. 

  • April 26, 2026 09:23

    Showdown in Bhabanipur: Chaos erupts as Mamata, Suvendu hold rival rallies 100 metres apart

    The high-stakes battle for Bhabanipur reached a boiling point on Saturday (April 25) as a confrontation between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP workers forced security personnel to intervene.The incident unfolded just days before the crucial April 29 polling date, as the constituency’s two primary contenders — Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari — held public meetings within earshot of each other.

    The tension marks a dramatic escalation in the “battle of Bhabanipur,” a seat Ms. Banerjee has held since 2011 but which the BJP has made its “biggest target” in the 2026 Assembly elections.

    - ANI

  • April 26, 2026 08:55

    Repeatedly ignored: Congress demands immediate arrest of Papai Ghosh in Berhampore

    Citing a “systematic breakdown of law and order,” the Congress party demanded the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for the immediate arrest of Papai Ghosh, whom they describe as a notorious repeat offender responsible for orchestrating violence in the Berhampore Assembly Constituency (AC-72).

    The formal complaint, authored by Niloy Pramanik and addressed to Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, alleges that the administration’s continued inaction has directly “emboldened” Ghosh and his associates to carry out escalating acts of brutality.

    -ANI

Published - April 26, 2026 09:20 am IST

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