West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked off a campaign stage in Bhabanipur after accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of using loud music from a nearby meeting to disrupt her speech, turning a local constituency event into a flashpoint in the closing stretch of the Assembly election campaign. Banerjee was addressing voters at Chakraberia in south Kolkata on Saturday when amplified sound from a rival political gathering began drowning out her remarks. She told the crowd that the BJP was “deliberately” seeking a quarrel and apologised to supporters before ending the meeting earlier than planned. The Chief Minister said she would return to the area for another rally, arguing that she could not respond in a manner that would lower the tone of the campaign.
The episode quickly widened into a confrontation between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, with both parties accusing each other of provocation. Trinamool workers later demonstrated outside a local police station and filed a complaint alleging a breach of the model code of conduct. Party leaders also indicated that the matter would be raised with election authorities.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who held a nearby rally, rejected Banerjee’s charge and claimed her reaction showed nervousness ahead of polling. He alleged that there had been no obstruction and no violence at her meeting, while also accusing the Trinamool Congress of trying to disturb his own event with loudspeakers. His remarks underscored the personal and political intensity of the Bhabanipur fight, where Banerjee is seeking to retain a seat closely associated with her political base.
Bhabanipur votes on April 29 in the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly election. The phase covers 142 constituencies across eight electoral districts, including Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Howrah, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman. Counting is scheduled for May 4.
The timing of the incident gives it wider political weight. Campaigning for the final phase ends on Monday evening, leaving little room for either side to repair perceptions before voters cast ballots. Trinamool is presenting the Bhabanipur interruption as evidence of intimidation, while the BJP is framing Banerjee’s exit as a sign of pressure in a constituency where it has sought to intensify its challenge.
Bhabanipur has long been central to Banerjee’s political identity. It returned her to the Assembly after she became Chief Minister in 2011, and it has remained one of the most closely watched seats in Bengal politics. The BJP’s decision to give the contest high visibility has made the constituency a symbolic test of whether the opposition can penetrate Trinamool’s urban strongholds.
The confrontation also comes against a broader backdrop of sharp campaign rhetoric across the state. Banerjee has accused the BJP of using pressure tactics and central influence to tilt the contest, while BJP leaders have attacked the Trinamool government over corruption, law and order, welfare delivery and alleged political violence. The Congress and Left have separately tried to position themselves as alternatives to both major parties, but the campaign narrative has remained dominated by the Banerjee-Adhikari and Trinamool-BJP rivalry.
Election authorities are already under pressure to maintain order during the final phase. Security planning, voter verification and complaints linked to campaign conduct have become prominent issues as the state moves towards polling in dense urban and semi-urban constituencies. The first phase recorded very high voter participation, reinforcing the scale of public engagement and the stakes for all parties.
The Bhabanipur episode may influence the final campaign messaging more than the actual mechanics of voting. Trinamool is likely to use it to mobilise supporters around Banerjee’s claim that Bengal’s political culture is under attack. The BJP, for its part, is expected to argue that the Chief Minister’s response reflects vulnerability rather than victimhood.
For voters in Bhabanipur, the clash adds another layer to a contest already shaped by identity, incumbency, welfare promises and competing claims over governance. Banerjee’s appeal rests on her record as Chief Minister and her direct connection with the constituency. The BJP’s challenge rests on the argument that Bengal needs political change and stronger accountability after years of Trinamool rule.