The Trinamool Congress has chosen its campaign pitch for the high-
octane contest in Bhabanipur, projecting Mamata Banerjee as the neighbourhood’s own daughter.

The slogan reads: “Unnayan ghar-e ghar-e / ghar-er meye Bhabanipur-e.”

The party is also attempting to frame Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP candidate and one of the chief minister’s fiercest critics, as an outsider. Posters highlighting this insider-outsider divide have appeared near Jadu Babu’s Bazar, without naming Suvendu or carrying any Trinamool symbol.

The campaign pitch was finalised at a meeting of local Trinamool councillors and party functionaries on Thursday. The party has begun printing handbills for distribution during door-to-door outreach.

“We will start our campaign after Eid,” Mamata said while releasing the party’s manifesto on Friday.

Party leaders said the groundwork is already underway, though the campaign will gather “greater vigour” after Eid. “Didi is a resident of Bhabanipur. She is ghar-er meye,” said a Trinamool functionary.

The dates for Mamata’s campaign are yet to be decided. “She will decide the dates,” a party leader said.

Sunday is expected to mark the first major push. “Being a holiday, we will be able to reach many people. I have prepared a schedule for the door-to-door campaign in my ward,” said Debalina Biswas, councillor from Ward 74.

The Bhabanipur Assembly constituency comprises eight Kolkata Municipal Corporation wards — 63, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 77 and 82 — all represented by Trinamool councillors.

At Thursday’s meeting, party leaders and functionaries were asked to ensure the campaign reached every home. “We were asked to reach every voter. We should not leave any voter,” a party leader said.

Suvendu made a brief appearance at the BJP’s central office for Bhabanipur on Chakraberia Road (South) on Thursday and met local leaders. “Suvendu-da told us to hold ground and be fearless. We are receiving a positive response from people here,” said a BJP leader.

He is scheduled to visit the Kalighat temple on Saturday. “He will hit the campaign road from the Kalighat temple,” a party leader said.

The Chakraberia Road (South) office was set up about a month ago. The BJP used the same space during the 2021 polls but had to vacate it soon after the election.

The Left Front has fielded Srijeeb Biswas from Bhabanipur.

Mamata won the Bhabanipur bypoll in September 2021 by a margin of 58,835 votes. She had also won the seat in 2011 and 2016.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Mamata contested from Nandigram in East Midnapore and lost to Suvendu. She later returned to the Assembly from Bhabanipur after Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the seat for her.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool’s lead in Bhabanipur narrowed to around 8,000 votes. The party led in only three of the eight wards.

For this campaign, responsibilities have been divided between two senior leaders — Firhad Hakim and Subrata Bakshi. “Bakshi will supervise wards 63, 70, 71, 72 and 73, while Hakim will oversee wards 74, 77 and 82,” a
Trinamool leader said.