Kolkata, March 22 With an eye on the high-stakes 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, the ruling TMC held an organizational meeting in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's home constituency of Bhabanipur on Sunday, where party leader Abhishek Banerjee set an ambitious target of securing her victory by more than 60,000 votes.
At the closed-door meeting, the TMC supremo warned party workers against complacency and asked them to keep a watch on the strongrooms after the voting ends, according to sources.
West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
The organizational meeting assumes significance as Bhabanipur, long regarded as Mamata Banerjee's political stronghold, is expected to witness a high-voltage contest in the upcoming polls, with the BJP likely to field Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari against her.
Addressing the workers' conference at Ahindra Mancha in Chetla, attended by councilors, booth-level leaders, and organizational functionaries, Abhishek, the party's general secretary, urged the cadre to ensure that Bhabanipur emerges as the best-performing constituency in Kolkata.
"Bhabanipur must come first in Kolkata. We have to ensure that Mamata Banerjee wins by more than 60,000 votes," he said, cautioning party workers against complacency despite the constituency's reputation as a TMC stronghold.
Banerjee's victory margin in the 2021 Bhabanipur by-election was 58,000.
The meeting marked the first major organizational review in the constituency ahead of the assembly polls, with the party leadership focusing on strengthening booth-level networks in what is expected to be a closely watched contest.
Abhishek Banerjee, considered number 2 in the TMC hierarchy, reminded workers that Bhabanipur has 287 polling booths, asking them to improve on the party's earlier performance.
"When Mamata Banerjee contested here earlier, we won in 231 booths. This time we must cross that figure and ensure victory in at least 232 booths," he said.
Calling booth presidents the "vigilant guardians" of their respective areas, Abhishek said personal differences within local committees should not weaken the organizational effort.
"You may like some people in your booth committees and dislike others. But remember that Mamata Banerjee herself is fighting here. That makes our responsibility much greater," he told the gathering.
Senior party leaders, including state TMC president Subrata Bakshi, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, and south Kolkata district president Debasish Kumar, were present at the meeting.
Addressing party workers, Mamata Banerjee struck a note of caution, urging them to remain vigilant even after polling ends.
"From now on, stay alert. Do not go home once voting is over. Keep watch on the strongrooms," she said.
Recalling the dramatic events during the 2021 assembly election count in Nandigram, Banerjee alleged that sudden power outages during counting had altered the trajectory of the result.
"Remember what happened in Nandigram. There can be a power cut. You must keep an eye on the strongrooms," she told workers.
The reference harkened back to the fiercely contested Nandigram battle of 2021, where Banerjee lost to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari after a dramatic counting process that saw several twists and controversies before the final declaration.
Her remarks also came amid concerns within the party over recent administrative changes during the election process.
"In the last three days, 50 officers have been removed. If anything happens, Narendra Modi and the Election Commission will have to take responsibility," Banerjee said.
She also referred to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and assured workers that the party would provide legal assistance to voters facing difficulties.
"A supplementary list will be published tomorrow. If anyone's name is deleted or they face problems, we will provide legal help," the TMC chief said.
According to party sources, the revision exercise has reportedly led to the deletion of around 47,000 names from the Bhabanipur electoral rolls, a development the TMC leadership is closely monitoring.
Few constituencies mirror Bengal's shifting political landscape as sharply as Bhabanipur.
Once a Congress stronghold, the seat later emerged as a symbol of Mamata Banerjee's rise in state politics. She had represented Bhabanipur earlier and returned to the constituency in 2011 through a bypoll after becoming chief minister.
A decade later, after her defeat in Nandigram in 2021, Banerjee again turned to Bhabanipur to retain the chief minister's post, winning the by-election comfortably.
Yet recent electoral trends have made the constituency more closely watched.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, TMC candidate Mala Roy secured a lead of only around 6,500 votes in the Bhabanipur segment, while the BJP gained ground in several municipal wards.
Against this backdrop, party leaders said Sunday's meeting was meant to send a clear message to the organization that even in Mamata Banerjee's political citadel, there will be no room for complacency as Bengal heads towards another polarised electoral battle.