West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday walked out of her Kalighat residence and proceeded on foot to file her nomination for the Bhabanipur Assembly seat, surrounded by a large crowd of supporters who turned the route into a show of strength for the Trinamool Congress chief.
Wearing her trademark simple attire and greeting people with folded hands and a smile, Banerjee acknowledged party workers lined along both sides of the road as she walked approximately 800 metres to the Alipore Survey Building to complete the formalities.
Throughout the march, TMC supporters raised slogans such as “Mamata Banerjee zindabad” and “TMC zindabad”, turning the procession into a high-energy political display.
The three-time MLA from Bhabanipur is expected to face BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari in what is being seen as a closely watched electoral contest.
Bhabanipur is a constituency where communities including Gujarati traders, Bengali families, Punjabi households and Muslim residents have long coexisted.