Kamal Ghorui
Kolkata: Barely 50m separated CM Mamata Banerjee and her ex-confidant and BJP challenger Suvendu Adhikari in a narrow Bhowanipore lane in Kolkata – a fleeting moment that captured a bitter, personal contest. Neither acknowledged the other nor exchanged a glance. Fifty metres said it all.Banerjee, unbeaten in Bhowanipore since 2011, broke her polling-day routine of staying indoors until afternoon. The 71-year-old CM left her Kalighat home at 7.40am Wednesday, visited Chetla, met city mayor Firhad Hakim and headed out to inspect polling booths.By 8am, Banerjee parked herself outside a Trinamool Congress office in Chakraberia. The setting was calm – sipping tea with party workers while declining food offered by residents. Her mood changed as she scrolled images on her phone. She alleged central forces assaulted TMC workers.“I was awake all night,” she said. “Observers and police officers brought from outside are carrying out atrocities. Our workers are being beaten up and arrested illegally. Their intention is clear – they want to rig the election.”Minutes after she entered Amrapali Heera complex, 55-year-old Adhikari arrived with central forces. A close encounter. Zero eye contact. Maximum heat. “Ye darr mujhe acchha laga,” he said, alleging she was afraid of losing and trying to intimidate voters.Adhikari crisscrossed the constituency from Jadu Babu’s Bazaar to Park Street, tracking turnout despite rain. He said he was in touch with home minister Amit Shah and “confident of victory”. Adhikari predicted a 30,000-vote win in Bhowanipore. He had defeated Banerjee by 1,956 votes in Nandigram in the previous election.Banerjee’s convoy moved through overlapping routes but avoided another face-off.Tension flared at Mitra Institution when Adhikari met voters and TMC supporters shouted slogans. He later alleged a mob surrounded him, prompting calls for additional security. Central forces moved in, swinging batons at cars and bystanders while dispersing crowd. “They are outsiders. I called QRT,” Adhikari added.TMC’s Kajari Banerjee accused him of provocation, alleging central forces “mercilessly beat” voters. Adhikari later struck a lighter note at Jadu Babu’s Bazaar, sharing a soft drink with TMC workers. “I know Bhowanipore very well… this time the constituency is voting for us,” he said.Banerjee remained combative. Arriving at Mitra Institution at 4.05pm to vote, she again alleged torture by central forces. “I have never seen anything like this… BJP will lose. We will win with a two-thirds majority,” she added.Bhowanipore, long known for subdued polling, recorded a sharp shift. Turnout surged to 86.6% (9pm figure), up from 57.5% in 2021 bypolls, 66.8% in 2016 and 44.7% in 2011. Affluent pockets saw long queues and heightened urgency. “I’ve never seen an election like this,” said businessman M Daud.
