Mamata Banerjee will contest this year’s Assembly elections from her home turf, Bhabanipur, against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, which will be a battle for the chief minister to avenge her defeat by him in Nandigram in 2021.

The question of whether Bengal would witness another duel between Mamata and Adhikari gained traction after the BJP fielded the leader of the Opposition from Bhabanipur, in addition to his current constituency, Nandigram. After the Trinamool Congress released its candidate list on Tuesday, it became clear that Mamata would once again face Adhikari.

Asked about the contest in Bhabanipur, Mamata initially appeared visibly irritated, but later said her fight in Bhabanipur was not just for a day or a victory. The Trinamool chairperson emphasised that she remained connected with her constituency throughout the year, addressing all sections and communities.

“Please don’t ask any questions about this,” Mamata reacted when she was asked about the contest in Bhabanipur.

“I have faith in the people (of Bhabanipur). I work 365 days a year. I take part in everything — from Durga Puja to Kali Puja, from Gurudwara visits to Eid — with responsibility throughout the year. This is not a fight for a day (an election). I am with the people of Bhabanipur all year round. So, it is better not to ask questions about it,” said a confident Mamata.

A source said while BJP leaders, particularly Adhikari, were vocal about defeating Mamata once again, she took a softer line, indicating that, unlike Nandigram, where she was defeated by 1,956 votes in 2021, Bhabanipur was her home turf.

Multiple sources said the BJP’s strategy was to keep Mamata under pressure and confine her to Bhabanipur for a longer period by fielding Adhikari, who is also contesting from Nandigram.

Responding to Mamata’s comments, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said: “Despite being the chief minister and having a significant political background, she had to emphasise that she works 365 days in Bhabanipur. This itself speaks about the situation of the TMC in the constituency.”

There was speculation that Trinamool would field a special candidate from Nandigram. However, on Tuesday, Trinamool announced Pabitra Kar — who was once a close associate of Adhikari and worked as a BJP functionary in 2021 against Mamata — as its Nandigram nominee.

Kar, a former BJP panchayat, joined Trinamool and received the party flag from Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday, signalling that he would be fielded against Adhikari.

Trinamool sources have said fielding a candidate like Kar is significant as he is familiar with Adhikari’s organisational machinery and could help divide the BJP’s votes, particularly those of Hindus, which may play a crucial role in the poll.

However, BJP leaders claimed that despite tall claims about Nandigram, Trinamool has fielded a relatively weak candidate, effectively leaving the field open for Adhikari.

Bhattacharya claimed Trinamool had already given up hope in Nandigram by fielding such a candidate and Adhikari would fully concentrate on Bhabanipur to defeat Mamata for the second time.

“The chief minister once claimed she was the daughter of Nandigram. However, when the candidate list came out, she was nowhere to be seen. The candidature proves that Trinamool has left Nandigram to Adhikari, and now he will focus on Bhabanipur to ensure victories in both seats,” said Bhattacharya.

Political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty said: “Despite ticking many boxes in terms of candidate list, Abhishek Banerjee made a major mistake by fielding a candidate like Pabitra Kar against Suvendu Adhikari, effectively giving him a walkover before the elections.”