West Bengal Election 2026: Suvendu Adhikari defeats Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, credits Hindutva for victory

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lost the West Bengal Election 2026 in the most humiliating manner. Contesting from the Bhabanipur Assembly seat, Mamata was defeated by BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari by a margin of over 15,000 votes.

How did Suvendu Adhikari defeat Mamata Banerjee? 

Suvendu was contesting the election from both the Nandigram and Bhabanipur seats. In the previous 2021 Assembly elections as well, Suvendu had defeated Mamata Banerjee in the Nandigram seat. This time, Suvendu defeated Mamata Banerjee by 15,114 votes. Following his victory in Bhabanipur, Suvendu Adhikari termed it a victory for Hindutva.

What did Suvendu Adhikari say? 

Addressing the media, Suvendu said, "It was absolutely essential to defeat Mamata. Last time, I defeated her in Nandigram, and this time, I defeated her in Bhabanipur. The Muslim community voted for her openly. It was the Hindus, Sikhs, and others who voted for me and ensured my victory. This victory is a victory for Hindutva; it is a victory for PM Modi. It is a victory for the people of Bengal."

Which seats did Suvendu Adhikari win? 

Apart from Bhabanipur, Suvendu also secured a victory in his stronghold, Nandigram. There, he defeated Pavitra Kar by a margin of over 9,500 votes. The TMC had fielded Pavitra—who was once a close associate of Suvendu—at the very last moment.

What happened in Bhavanipur? 

During the vote counting in Bhabanipur, the lead kept shifting back and forth; at times, Mamata Banerjee was ahead, while at other times, Suvendu Adhikari held the advantage. However, a significant shift was observed during the 16th round of counting. Suvendu Adhikari secured 53,932 votes, pulling slightly ahead of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Prior to this, Banerjee had successfully narrowed a substantial deficit of 3,830 votes by the end of the 14th round; however, the BJP subsequently managed to regain the lead. The tension at the Bhabanipur counting center was palpable. As the Chief Minister exited the premises, she was surrounded by a crowd of BJP supporters who chanted slogans such as, "Mamata the scamster, get out!"

What did Mamata Banerjee say? 

Banerjee alleged widespread irregularities in the vote-counting process and launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission. He said, "Do you consider this a victory? It is an unethical victory. More than 100 seats have been stolen. The Election Commission is merely the BJP's commission." Claiming that the mandate had been 'tampered with,' he alleged that one of his party's counting agents was forcibly evicted, shoved inside the center, and verbally abused.