<p>Mamata Banerjee and her aide-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari crossed paths in Bhabanipur, the scene of the battle royale between the two, as the constituency went to the polls, along with 141 others, on Wednesday, but had no exchange of pleasantries.</p><p>Mamata’s supporters raised slogans targeting Adhikari, albeit elsewhere in the constituency. His aides also responded, and the paramilitary forces dispersed the agitated supporters of both sides.</p>.Bengal saga: The seven political lives of Mamata Banerjee.<p>Mamata was out on a tour across Bhabanipur since morning on Wednesday, travelling from one polling station to another. She reached Chakraberia, where the BJP’s workers allegedly tore some posters and flags of the TMC.</p><p>She alleged that the central paramilitary force had raided the nearby residence of Asim Basu, a local TMC leader and a member of the Kolkata Municipal Council, on Tuesday night, when he was not at home. “Only his wife and their child were at home. She was threatened by paramilitary personnel,” Mamata said. </p><p>A few minutes later, Adhikari, the de facto chief ministerial candidate of the BJP, arrived at the scene, preceded by some paramilitary personnel. “She is not getting any votes. She has been travelling across the constituency since morning. This is a sign of her frustration,” Adhikari. “Her party has been rejected by people, and, due to the arrangement made by the Election Commission, her workers are not able to do any manipulation inside the polling booths, unlike previous years.”</p><p>Adhikari quit the TMC to join the BJP in December 2020. He beat Mamata in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly elections.</p><p>When he reached a polling station near the Kali Temple of Kalighat, TMC workers raised slogans against him. They also raised the TMC’s war cry ‘Joy Bangla’. BJP workers accompanying Adhikari responded by raising the “Jai Sri Ram” slogan. As tension escalated, the paramilitary personnel intervened and resorted to a brief baton charge to disperse the supporters of the two sides.</p><p>“I will win in Bhabanipur by a margin of at least 20,000 votes,” Adhikari said later.</p><p>Mamata said that she would win Bhabanipur and the TMC would retain power in West Bengal, notwithstanding the partisan role of the Election Commission and the paramilitary personnel.</p>
<p>Mamata Banerjee and her aide-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari crossed paths in Bhabanipur, the scene of the battle royale between the two, as the constituency went to the polls, along with 141 others, on Wednesday, but had no exchange of pleasantries.</p><p>Mamata’s supporters raised slogans targeting Adhikari, albeit elsewhere in the constituency. His aides also responded, and the paramilitary forces dispersed the agitated supporters of both sides.</p>.Bengal saga: The seven political lives of Mamata Banerjee.<p>Mamata was out on a tour across Bhabanipur since morning on Wednesday, travelling from one polling station to another. She reached Chakraberia, where the BJP’s workers allegedly tore some posters and flags of the TMC.</p><p>She alleged that the central paramilitary force had raided the nearby residence of Asim Basu, a local TMC leader and a member of the Kolkata Municipal Council, on Tuesday night, when he was not at home. “Only his wife and their child were at home. She was threatened by paramilitary personnel,” Mamata said. </p><p>A few minutes later, Adhikari, the de facto chief ministerial candidate of the BJP, arrived at the scene, preceded by some paramilitary personnel. “She is not getting any votes. She has been travelling across the constituency since morning. This is a sign of her frustration,” Adhikari. “Her party has been rejected by people, and, due to the arrangement made by the Election Commission, her workers are not able to do any manipulation inside the polling booths, unlike previous years.”</p><p>Adhikari quit the TMC to join the BJP in December 2020. He beat Mamata in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly elections.</p><p>When he reached a polling station near the Kali Temple of Kalighat, TMC workers raised slogans against him. They also raised the TMC’s war cry ‘Joy Bangla’. BJP workers accompanying Adhikari responded by raising the “Jai Sri Ram” slogan. As tension escalated, the paramilitary personnel intervened and resorted to a brief baton charge to disperse the supporters of the two sides.</p><p>“I will win in Bhabanipur by a margin of at least 20,000 votes,” Adhikari said later.</p><p>Mamata said that she would win Bhabanipur and the TMC would retain power in West Bengal, notwithstanding the partisan role of the Election Commission and the paramilitary personnel.</p>
