Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, met BJP leaders in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in Calcutta on Tuesday evening and purportedly issued directives for the party’s win there next year, fuelling speculations that he would take on Mamata Banerjee on her home turn in the 2026 polls.

“During the meeting, Suvendu-da asked us to leave no stone unturned to ensure the BJP’s victory in Bhabanipur. He also dropped several hints that he would contest from the south Calcutta seat, where the sitting MLA is Mamata Banerjee,” said a BJP leader from south Calcutta.

Adhikari, who often boasts of his victory over the chief minister in Nandigram during the 2021 Assembly elections, reportedly told the BJP leaders that Mamata was unlikely to change her constituency and would contest from Bhabanipur.

After her defeat in Nandigram, the Trinamool Congress chairperson was elected to the Assembly from Bhabanipur in a bypoll.

“He (Adhikari) said all leaders should work together to defeat Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur. If we win this seat, it will strengthen our footprint not only in Calcutta but also in Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold,” the leader quoted Suvendu as saying.

A senior BJP functionary in Calcutta emphasised that the decision on the party’s Assembly and Lok Sabha election candidates rested with the central leaders, including Union home minister Amit Shah, who is likely to visit Bengal later this month to review the BJP’s preparedness for the 2026 Assembly polls.

On Tuesday, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and Bengal’s co-minder Amit Malviya met Shah in New Delhi to discuss the party affairs related to Bengal.

“The discussion was certainly political, but I can’t disclose details publicly. There is a possibility that he (Amit Shah) will visit Bengal later this month,” said Majumdar.

A source said Adhikari intensified his political activities in Bhabanipur after Mamata had held a meeting with eight TMC councillors from the Bhabanipur Assembly segment at her Kalighat residence on February 27. During the meeting, she instructed them to ensure a significant lead for the TMC in next year’s Assembly elections from each Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) ward.

The TMC had lagged behind the BJP in five out of the eight KMC wards that make up the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The TMC’s lead was reduced to 8,297 votes from the 58,832-vote margin Mamata had secured in the September 2021 bypoll.

A TMC insider said the contest was unlikely to be easy for the party if Adhikari was fielded in Bhabanipur.

A BJP leader in south Calcutta said Adhikari was likely to open a new party office in Ward 73, where Mamata’s residence is located at 30-B, Harish Chatterjee Street. The ward is represented by TMC councillor Kajari Banerjee, Mamata’s sister-in-law.

“If everything goes as planned, the new party office may be set up in mid-April, after the Bengali New Year, Poila Boisakh,” said the BJP leader.

A senior BJP leader said in the coming elections, the party would avoid the mistakes made during the 2021 Assembly polls. Last time, the party faced significant issues in selecting candidates for 294 Assembly constituencies with party workers unhappy with unpopular candidate choices.

“Amit Shah ji’s visit later this month is crucial as he is likely to outline the BJP’s roadmap for next year’s Assembly elections. His visit could set the tone for the elections,” the leader said.

However, it remains unclear whether Adhikari will contest from Nandigram also if the party fields him from Bhabanipur against Mamata.

“The BJP will ensure a strong candidate against the chief minister wherever she chooses to contest. Suvendu-da is known for defeating Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram and he should be the best choice,” said a BJP insider.

“However, there is more than a year left to finalise the candidate list. So, anything could change during this period,” he added.