KOLKATA: West Bengal’s most high-profile Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in south Kolkata witnessed an unprecedented scene on Wednesday, when ruling Trinamool Congress supremo and outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went on an early morning tour, visiting polling booths in her home turf—breaking her decades-old routine on polling day.
Bhabanipur, where she is contesting against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari—once her lieutenant in the Trinamool Congress—went to polls in the second and final phase of the Bengal Assembly elections, covering 142 seats across seven electoral districts, including Kolkata North and Kolkata South.
Mamata usually stays at her residence on 30B Harish Chatterjee Street on polling days and takes updates from party colleagues such as Subrata Bakshi, Aroop Biswas, and Firhad Hakim. She typically leaves in the afternoon to cast her vote at the nearby Bhabanipur Mitra Institution.
Even in 2011, when the Trinamool came to power, she followed the same routine. While contesting from Nandigram in the last Assembly elections, she did not break this pattern. However, on this occasion, she left her residence early, around 7:30 am, to visit several polling stations in her constituency.
On her way to Chakraberia, she met Kolkata Mayor and outgoing Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and took stock of the polling situation.
“People are supposed to vote. Can voting take place like this? Our flags have been removed. The family members of our councillor from Ward No. 70 were threatened last night by the central forces. They kicked at the door of the councillor, who was not at his residence. What is going on?” Mamata asked.
The Chief Minister also alleged that a Trinamool worker was beaten in Bhangar in South 24-Parganas. She stopped at a booth in Chakraberia and stayed at a party camp there for about an hour. She later went inside a house behind the Puddapukur swimming pool. Her rival, Suvendu Adhikari, arrived soon after.
“She is losing. Nobody is voting for her. That is why she is extremely frustrated,” Suvendu said.
Mamata later visited the residence of the Ward 70 councillor to meet him.
“They have brought in some people from outside, and these people are doing nothing but spreading fear and terror among voters. They will leave soon,” she said.
Trinamool’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, left for Amtala soon after casting his vote at Mitra Institution.
“None of these tricks will work. When the EVMs are opened, it will mark the comeback of the Trinamool Congress with a bigger majority,” Abhishek said.
Tension flared in the Bhabanipur constituency in the afternoon when Trinamool supporters and BJP workers clashed near polling booths in Chakraberia.
Trinamool workers shouted slogans against Suvendu. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), along with Kolkata Police, resorted to a lathi charge to disperse agitating Trinamool Congress supporters led by Kajori Banerjee, a councillor and wife of Mamata’s brother, Kartik Banerjee.
This occurred when Suvendu visited a polling booth at Jai Hind Bhaban on Harish Mukherjee Road, where slogans of “Jai Bangla” were raised. Suvendu was seen calling the Election Commission from the spot near Mamata’s Kalighat residence, urging the deployment of central forces.
He was also seen confronting Trinamool supporters in Mamata’s home turf. The central forces and police brought the situation under control around 1 pm.
