West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee officially started her election work this Sunday. She is getting ready for the big state elections that will happen in 2026. This weekend, she held a special meeting with her party workers in a place called Bhabanipur in Kolkata. Everyone is watching this closely because this area is very important to her and her party, the Trinamool Congress.

What Happened?

On Sunday, March 21, 2026, Mamata Banerjee went to Ahindra Mancha to talk to her supporters. She was joined by eight local leaders, called councillors, including Minister Firhad Hakim. This meeting was the start of her campaign to keep her seat in the Bhabanipur Assembly area. This part of Kolkata is very diverse, meaning many different kinds of people live there together. You will find people from the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities living in the same neighborhoods. It is also the place where the Chief Minister and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, live. Because they live there, winning this seat is a matter of pride for them.

The race for this seat is going to be very tough. Her main rival is Suvendu Adhikari, a top leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party, also known as the BJP. In the past, Mamata Banerjee has won in Bhabanipur three times in a row. She won in 2011, 2016, and 2021. However, in 2021, she actually lost a different seat in a place called Nandigram to Suvendu Adhikari. She then had to win a special by-election in Bhabanipur to stay as the Chief Minister. In that by-election, she won by a very large number of votes. But new reports show that the competition is getting much closer now than it was before.

During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the gap between her party and the BJP became much smaller. In 2021, she won by more than 58,000 votes. By 2024, that lead dropped to only about 8,000 votes. The BJP actually got more votes in five out of the eight local wards in that area. This means the BJP is becoming more popular in parts of her own home ground. This is why she is starting her campaign early to talk to people and win back their trust before the big 2026 election.

Key Highlights

Mamata Banerjee officially started her 2026 campaign at Ahindra Mancha on Sunday.
She is facing a very strong rival, Suvendu Adhikari, from the BJP party.
The Bhabanipur area has a mix of different religious communities living together.
Records show that the TMC lead in Bhabanipur dropped significantly in 2024.
There is a big controversy about 47,000 voters being removed from the list.
This seat is a prestige fight because both top leaders live in the area.
Mamata Banerjee has successfully won this seat three times in the past.

Why Does This Matter?

This news is very important for the people of West Bengal because Bhabanipur is like a heart for the state's politics. When a Chief Minister fights for a seat in their own home area, it shows how strong or weak they might be feeling. If the gap between the two main parties is getting smaller, it means that many people are changing their minds about who they want to lead them. For the average person, this competition usually means that politicians will pay more attention to their problems, like better roads, cleaner water, and safety in the city.

Another reason this matters is the issue with the voter lists. Reports say that about 47,000 people were removed from the voting lists in this one area. Also, 14,000 people are waiting for a judge to decide if they can vote. If your name is not on the list, you cannot have a say in who runs your government. This makes many people worried about their rights. When thousands of names disappear from the records, it can change the result of the whole election. People need to know that their vote counts and that the process is fair for everyone.

What Are People Saying?

There is a lot of heated talk from both sides. Suvendu Adhikari has been very vocal against the Chief Minister. He has accused her of breaking the rules of the election and has even asked the Election Commission to take action against her. He believes the BJP has a real chance to win this time because they did so well in the local wards during the last big vote. The BJP feels that people are ready for a change and that the dropping numbers for the TMC are a sign of things to come.

On the other side, the Trinamool Congress workers are still very loyal to Mamata Banerjee. They say she has done a lot of good work for the city and that she will win again easily. However, the controversy over the "Special Intensive Revision" of the voter list has many people confused. Some experts say the process was messy and unfair from the start. People in the neighborhoods are talking about whether they will still find their names on the list when it is time to go to the polling booths. It has become a big topic of conversation in the local tea shops and markets.

Conclusion

The fight for Bhabanipur is going to be one of the most exciting battles in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Mamata Banerjee is working hard to keep her home turf, while the BJP is trying everything they can to take it away from her. With thousands of voters missing from the lists and the gap between the parties closing, every single vote will be very important. As the campaign continues, the eyes of the whole state will be on this small part of Kolkata to see who wins the heart of the people.