West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | Bhabanipur sides with Mamata, TMC chief leads with over 15,000 votes

While the BJP has taken a clear lead in the state of West Bengal with lead in over 100 seats, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday consolidated her lead over BJP challenger Suvendu Adhikari by 17,371 votes in the high-profile Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata after early jitters.

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When counting began, the TMC supremo was trailing BJP challenger Suvendu Adhikari in the high-profile Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata after the second round of counting on Monday, marking a dramatic reversal from her initial lead.

As the eight round of counting is underway, Banerjee has taken a lead of 15494 votes against Adhikari.

According to Election Commission data, Banerjee secured 35, 522 votes, while Adhikari polled 20, 028 votes.

Counting of votes for the 293 assembly constituencies in West Bengal was underway amid tight security arrangements.

The Bhabanipur contest is being closely watched as a prestige battle, with Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, positioning himself as the BJP's principal challenger to Banerjee.

With several rounds still to be counted, trends are expected to shift further as the day progresses.