New Delhi: West Bengal is entering the second phase of its assembly elections and the political temperature is rising like summer. After an unprecedented 93.2 per cent turnout in Phase 1, despite sporadic violence, the state is now set for what could be a decisive chapter in the battle for the country’s second largest assembly.Record voting has emboldened both the ruling parties Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, each claiming that people’s enthusiasm points to momentum in their favor.
As Bengal prepares to vote on 142 seats on April 29, the spotlight is on longtime chief minister Bhabanipur Mamata BanerjeeA bastion where symbolism, prestige and political power are all at stake.
High-decibel campaign, high political stakes
Campaigning for this crucial phase ended at 5 pm on April 27, but before that Bengal witnessed days of relentless political theatre. Helicopters hovered in the sky, city streets were packed and fiery speeches kept the fight alive until the last moment.For Mamata Banerjee, this is not just another election but a fight to save the fort she has built in the last 15 years. Mamata, one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s staunchest critics and staunchly opposed to the BJP’s national hold, sees this election as a fight for Bengal’s identity and Didi’s “Maa, Mati, Manush”.However, the BJP has mounted perhaps the most determined challenge yet. With BJP’s top star Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the campaign and “Chanakya” Amit Shah running the election machinery, the saffron party has pushed the promise of “poriborton” change, hoping to translate its rise to political power in Bengal for the first time.Mamata has met that challenge with a familiar but effective political line, branding the BJP as “bohiragata” or outsiders, and arguing that Bengal cannot be dictated politically by Delhi.“Remember this – you do not have the capacity to defeat us. We fight against injustice; we fight for our rights. I was born in Bengal and will take my last breath here. Once we win Bengal, I will fight till Delhi and unite all opposition parties. I do not want power; I want to completely eliminate the BJP in Delhi. While their defeat in Bengal is certain, the BJP has to be removed from Delhi too, mark my words.”
Moment of opposition, but divided
The BJP is entering this phase as the main opposition force, with 77 seats in the current assembly and is eyeing a major success in the urban and semi-urban areas of the state.Yet the anti-TMC position remains fragmented. The Congress and the Left, once the major political forces in Bengal, are struggling for relevance even after their collapse in 2021. Although at the national level he is associated with the India Bloc, but in Bengal he is contesting elections directly against Mamata’s 15-year-old rule.Smaller challengers are also trying to make space. Expelled TMC leader Humayun Kabir, who now leads AJUP in alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, is adding another layer to the already crowded battlefield.Yet, for all the many players, the political script in Bengal centers around the TMC-BJP face-off.
Bhabanipur fight: Mamata’s reputation at stake!
If Phase 2 has one centre, it is Bhabanipur.The constituency is not just another seat on the electoral map; It is Mamata Banerjee’s political home turf, the heart of her urban bastion and a symbol of her authority in Kolkata. Since 2011, Bhabanipur has stood firmly with Mamata, becoming synonymous with her political identity.But this time, Bhabanipur has more of an edge as he faces Suvendu Adhikari, the same man who gave Mamata her most embarrassing defeat in Nandigram in the 2021 elections.That contest transformed Didi’s former aide Suvendu into the BJP’s “giant-killer” in Bengal politics. Now, he is trying to launch an even bigger political attack by challenging Mamata in her own stronghold.This competition is also important because of its historical importance. Bhabanipur was represented by former Chief Minister Siddharth Shankar Ray from 1972 to 1977, the last time Congress saw power in the state.Mamata’s victory will confirm her hold on Kolkata; BJP’s strong performance will send a strong message that no TMC stronghold is beyond challenge.
Margin, voter list and tough competition
The Bhabanipur contest has become even more politically tense after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list by the Election Commission.Mamata has alleged that around 51,000 names, about 21 per cent of voters, have been removed, including a large number of Muslim voters, traditionally seen as supporters of TMC.
In 2021, Didi won the Bhabanipur by-election by around 58,000 votes. With the focus now on such a massive extinction, the competition is shaping up to be one where margins may matter more than ever.This has allowed TMC to sharpen its narrative that the election is not just about power but also about protecting voter rights, while the BJP has continued to insist that the contest is about accountability and change.
Didi’s southern fort is facing its toughest test
Beyond Bhabanipur, the broader electoral map in Phase 2 is in TMC’s favor on paper.Most of the 142 constituencies that voted in this round are located in South Bengal and the greater Kolkata belt, areas that have long been the backbone of Didi’s dominance. In the 2021 elections, TMC won 123 of these 142 seats, while BJP managed to win 18 seats and the Left alliance was left with just one seat.That arithmetic makes this step important.It is necessary for Mamata to demonstrate again here to maintain her grip on power. For the BJP, any meaningful gains in the region would indicate that the political landscape is changing.More than 3.21 crore voters are eligible in this phase, voting will take place at 41,001 stations under webcasting monitoring. The districts included in the game include Kolkata North and South, Howrah, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman, all of which are politically important, demographically diverse and electorally decisive.
heavy weight on the battlefield
The second phase will also decide the fate of some big names in Bengal.For TMC, apart from Mamata Banerjee, prominent leaders like Kokata Mayor Firhad Hakim, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Shashi Panja, Arup Biswas, Bratya Basu and Sujit Basu are in the fray.The BJP has responded with a line-up of its own, fielding Swapan Dasgupta, Roopa Ganguly and other prominent faces.One of the most symbolic moves by the BJP is to field the mother of the RG Kar rape-murder victim from Panihati, turning the campaign into a direct emotional challenge to Mamata over law and order and incidents like Sandeshkhali and Murshidabad.This has given the BJP an emotional campaign issue, while forcing the TMC to defend not only governance but its moral credibility.
Culture and confrontation with propaganda
Like every Bengal election, this campaign mixed hard politics with cultural imagination.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stopover in Jhalmuri after a rally in Jhargram was more than a coincidental moment; This was carefully crafted symbolism aimed at connecting with the Bengali spirit. In turn, the TMC used Bengal’s “Mach Bhat” identity to portray the BJP as culturally alien and politically intrusive.In a letter to the voters of Bengal, PM Modi Trying to be emotional, he wrote, “During this entire election campaign, I have experienced a unique energy in Bengal. Despite the scorching heat and the crowd of rallies, I have not felt the slightest bit tired during this election in Bengal. These rallies and road shows have felt like a pilgrimage for me. As I went among the devotees of Maa Kali, it seemed as if Maa Kali herself was constantly filling me with new energy,” he added, “During this election, I observed that for a ‘Vikas Bengal’ (Developed Bengal), people want an open playing field – a level playing field – to fulfill their aspirations. Our daughters want the open sky – the freedom to fly high – and most of all, they want security. Every citizen, every family is now committed to move forward with a resolve. Too much fear; What is needed now is trust–and what is needed now is the BJP.”
Mamata also responded with equal force and described the elections as a fight to protect the dignity of Bengal. He said, “In Chowringhee, Bhabanipur, Jadavpur and Tollygunge, I saw people clear-headed, determined, united and ready to protect Bengal, its identity and its future. Those who believe that they can run Bengal from Delhi, direct its politics, divide its people and distort its culture are deeply mistaken. The memory of this land is long and the spine is also strong. He further said, “Those who are sitting in Delhi and conspiring to snatch the rights of Bengal and impose their agenda, they should clearly understand that the people of Bengal are watching and they will respond through their votes.” Every attempt to weaken Bengal will be given a decisive democratic reply. “This election is about opposing the systematic effort to weaken and control Bengal.”
voting war
Even before Phase 2 begins, the battle over perception around Phase 1 voting has intensified.The BJP has projected the 93.2 per cent turnout as an anti-incumbency wave, with Amit Shah declaring that “the sun has set for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.”It is no surprise that TMC looks at the same numbers differently.Mamata Banerjee argued, “Do you know why the voting percentage is so high even after so many names have been removed? It is because people know that this election is a fight to protect their rights. Because after this, they (BJP) will implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC).” Abhishek Banerjee confirmed this by saying, “I am not a political astrologer. Whenever I have made predictions on political outcomes, they have been successful.” We have scored a century in the first phase. There is panic in the BJP camp. They are calling journalists and asking them to run the story that BJP has performed well in the first phase and is moving forward.In Bengal, voting has always meant much more than numbers; This becomes a political message, which is interpreted differently by each camp.
decisive round
As Bengal moves into Phase 2, the election enters its most crucial moment.For Mamata, it is not just a fight to protect seats but also to protect the political and emotional ground on which her leadership stands. For the BJP, this is the clearest opening ever to breach Bengal’s strongest political fortress.Voting has been historic, campaigning has been relentless and rhetoric has been intense. Now, with 142 seats at stake and Bhabanipur at the center of the storm, Phase 2 is set to decide not only who wins in Bengal but also what political story Bengal tells next. The results will come on 4th May.
