India, May 4 -- The West Bengal Assembly election 2026 has placed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari at one of the most closely watched political contests in the state. He took on chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile Bhabanipur constituency in the second phase of voting in Bengal. Polling concluded on April 29.

Adhikari's contest in Bhabanipur carries weight. Once a close aide of Banerjee and a key organiser in the Trinamool Congress, he is now her principal challenger from the BJP.

Bhabanipur has long been considered Mamata Banerjee's political stronghold. The seat is closely tied to her leadership identity since 2011. For Adhikari, the seat represented one of the toughest electoral challenges of his car...