Kolkata, April 22 -- A five-minute walk from the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) camp office in Bhabanipur brings you to Netaji Bhawan-a heritage building preserved as a memorial and research centre dedicated to the life of anti-colonial nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose. Manohar Mondal, now in his late 60s, says he has been looking after the premises for nearly three decades.

As you strike up a conversation about the upcoming Assembly polls, Mondal says the Trinamool Congress candidate-and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-is likely to retain the high-profile Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata.

"This area is dominated by TMC councillors, so the party could well win again," he says.

But as Mondal warms to the conversation, he invok...