Kolkata, March 22 The TMC held an organizational meeting on Sunday in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's stronghold, Bhabanipur, where party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee set an ambitious target of ensuring her victory by more than 60,000 votes in the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections.
The meeting is significant because Bhabanipur, long considered Mamata Banerjee's political base, is expected to witness a high-profile contest in the upcoming election, with the BJP fielding Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari against her.
Addressing a closed-door workers' conference at Ahindra Mancha in Chetla, along with Mamata Banerjee, her nephew Abhishek told booth-level leaders and party functionaries that Bhabanipur must emerge as the top-performing constituency in Kolkata, according to TMC sources.
"Bhabanipur must come first in Kolkata. Mamata Banerjee has to win by more than 60,000 votes," he said, warning party workers not to be complacent despite the constituency's reputation as a TMC stronghold.
The meeting, attended by local councillors, booth workers, and organizational leaders, was part of the party's effort to strengthen its booth-level machinery in the constituency ahead of the assembly polls.
Among those present were state TMC president Subrata Bakshi, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, south Kolkata district president Debasish Kumar, and councillors from the area.
Abhishek, considered number 2 in the TMC hierarchy, reminded party workers that Bhabanipur has 287 polling booths and asked 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 on booth presidents to function as "vigilant guardians" of their respective polling areas, the TMC MP said internal differences within local committees should not affect 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 said.
Mamata Banerjee, who also addressed the meeting, raised concerns over recent administrative changes during the poll process and accused the Centre of interfering in the state's functioning.
"In the last three days, 50 officers have been removed. If anything happens, Narendra Modi and Vanish Kumar will have to take responsibility," she told workers.
The TMC supremo also referred to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and said the party would extend legal assistance to voters who face problems.
"A supplementary list will be published tomorrow. If anyone's name is deleted or they face difficulties, we will provide legal help," she 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.
The constituency occupies a special place in Bengal politics. Mamata Banerjee had first represented Bhabanipur in the assembly before returning to the seat in 2011 through a bypoll after becoming chief minister.
In 2021, she again contested a by-election from Bhabanipur to retain the chief minister's post after losing the high-stakes battle in Nandigram to Adhikari.
Though the seat has largely remained a TMC bastion, recent electoral trends have made the contest more closely watched. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, TMC candidate Mala Roy secured a lead of 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 aimed at ensuring there is "no room for complacency" in the constituency and that the organizational network remains fully mobilised for the upcoming electoral battle.