Suvendu Adhikari Wins Bhabanipur By-Election, Defeats Mamata Banerjee by Over 15,000 Votes

Suvendu Adhikari, BJP candidate and former Trinamool Congress leader, defeated party chief Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur assembly by-election, securing victory by over 15,000 votes. The vote counting took place at Sakhawat Memorial Girls' School in Kolkata on Monday, under heavy security presence including Central forces, Kolkata Police, RAF, and BSF, following Banerjee's pre-counting allegations of EVM tampering and disabled CCTV cameras at the facility.
At 8 a.m., counting began, and initial trends showed Banerjee leading with 25,942 votes against Adhikari's 9,236. However, the process was briefly suspended midday after Adhikari entered the centre, prompting Trinamool Congress agents to exit and allege forced eviction. Arguments erupted between party agents, halting the count until the District Election Officer arrived.
Counting resumed after 8 p.m., following Banerjee's departure and her public accusation that Adhikari had physically assaulted her inside the facility — a claim Adhikari denied. As trends shifted, Adhikari overtook Banerjee, replicating his 2021 Nandigram victory margin. Upon confirmation of his win, he credited Hindu voters and claimed significant support from former CPM voters.
The Election Commission has officially declared Adhikari the winner of the Bhabanipur seat. The West Bengal government has urged all parties to maintain peace, while police have initiated a review of security footage to verify allegations of misconduct during the counting process.