West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee is banking on her trusted lieutenants to campaign for her in her own assembly constituency Bhabanipur, even as she goes on the offensive against arch rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across the state, especially focusing on North Bengal where the latter is perceived to be stronger.. Bhabanipur has been a TMC bastion since 2011 and Mamata Banerjee represented it in 2011 and 2016. (@AITCofficial X). Also read: Not Delhi, this Indian city was most polluted last year, shows report. The south Kolkata constituency, which goes to polls on April 29, is set to witness a high-voltage battle with the BJP fielding Suvendu Adhikari to challenge the chief minister from Bhabanipur. Adhikari, once a trusted confidante of Banerjee, joined the BJP in December 2020 (ahead of the 2021 assembly elections) and defeated his one-time mentor from Nandigram in 2021. It was the one bright spot for the BJP which won 77 of the 294 assembly seats in the state, belying its performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when it won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.. Also read: Sonia Gandhi admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, condition being monitored. “Banerjee will be away from Kolkata most of the time over the next one month as she will lead the party’s campaign across the state along with Abhishek Banerjee. Meanwhile some of the party’s veteran leaders close to Banerjee will lead the campaign in Bhabanipur during her absence,” said a senior TMC leader.. Firhad Hakim, a cabinet minister and one of Banerjee’s trusted lieutenants, campaigned at Chetla in Bhabanipur on Monday and Tuesday. Hakim, who doubles as the mayor of Kolkata, is the ward councillor from Chetla.. Also read: Modi, Trump discuss West Asia conflict; PM says must ensure Strait of Hormuz remains open. “I am campaigning from Chetla. I am just reminding people that Mamatadi is their own daughter. The people are with Mamatadi. We have already said that this time we will win from Bhabanipur with a margin of more than 60,000 votes. When we are campaigning in Bhabanipur, people are already saying we need not come and campaign as they are with didi. We are hitting the streets just to exchange greetings with the people,” he told reporters on Monday.. Senior TMC leaders aware of the developments told HT that apart from Hakim, other leaders such as Aroop Biswas, state minister and Subrata Bakshi, party president, will also campaign for Banerjee in Bhabanipur. This apart there are eight ward councillors and the party’s star campaigners who will also campaign in the constituency.. Bhabanipur has been a TMC bastion since 2011 and Banerjee represented it in 2011 and 2016. She moved to Nandigram in 2021 and lost, although her party won from Bhabanipur; she won the by-election in October 2021 (five months after the results of the assembly elections were declared in May 2021) with a record margin of 58,832 votes against her nearest ri
