Suvendu Adhikari Credits Muslim Voters for His Upset Win Over Mamata in Bhabhanipur

BJP Leader Suvendu Adhikari Wins Bhabanipur Seat in West Bengal

Suvendu Adhikari, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), emerged victorious in the Bhabanipur seat in West Bengal, defeating West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to Adhikari, his win was largely due to the support he received from various communities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists, as well as some supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM).

Adhikari attributed his victory to the fact that Muslim voters "openly" supported Banerjee, while his own supporters came out in large numbers to vote for him. He claimed that all the Bengali Hindus, as well as Gujaratis, Jains, Marwaris, Purvanchalis, and the Sikh community, voted openly for him. Additionally, he said that at least 10,000 supporters of the CPM, who had 13,000 votes in Bhabanipur, transferred their votes to him.

The results of the election showed that Adhikari won the Bhabanipur seat by a margin of 15,000 votes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had reportedly contacted Adhikari multiple times, expressing concern about the outcome of the election. Adhikari claimed that he was unable to speak to Shah earlier due to restrictions on his phone use.

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The election was closely contested, with Banerjee initially building a strong lead. However, as the counting progressed, her margin gradually narrowed. By the end of the 7th round, she was ahead by over 17,000 votes, with 32,822 votes against Adhikari's 15,451. Her lead reduced to 15,494 after the 8th round and further slipped to 12,131 by the 10th round. By the end of 12 rounds, the margin had narrowed to 7,184, indicating a clear shift in momentum.

The election was marred by controversy, with the Trinamool Congress alleging that one of its counting agents was removed from the Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls' High School counting centre. Banerjee also alleged that she was "pushed and berated" during the proceedings, contributing to a tense atmosphere at the counting centre.