Will Mamata Banerjee return to Bhabanipur, her seat since 2011?

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led her party Trinamool Congress to a spectacular victory in the Assembly elections, winning 213 seats, two more than 2016. But, the 66-year-old leader lost her Nandigram seat to former aide Suvendu Adhikari.

Read: What’s next for Mamata now that she has lost Nandigram

In order to continue as Chief Minister, Banerjee has to get elected to assembly within six months. Not a difficult task, considering the overwhelming support she has got in these elections. But the question on everyone’s mind is, ‘which will be her chosen seat’?

In a way Mamata Banerjee is in the same situation as she was after the 2011 elections. Then too she had led her party to trounce the Goliath Left. Only, she had not contested that time. So, she needed to get elected within six months to continue functioning as the Chief Minister.

Read: जानें क्या है ‘खेला होबे’ का मतलब? बंगाल चुनाव में ममता बनर्जी का नारा जो जमकर लोकप्रिय हो रहा

Banerjee then picked Bhabanipur. The sitting MLA of Trinamool Congress Subrata Bakshi was made to resign and Banerjee contested and won by a margin of 54,213 votes.

In 2016, she defeated Deepa Dasmunsi  of the Congress by more than 25,000 votes. When preparations began for elections 2021, everyone thought the CM would pick Bhabanipur, but she instead decided to take the battle to the enemy camp and decided to enter Nandigram against her ex-aide Suvendu Adhikari. She lost by around 1700 votes in a very close contest.

Now, Mamata Banerjee, like 2011, has power but needs a seat. Will she return to Bhabanipur, her seat of 10 years? The seat has been retained by Trinamool candidate Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay this time. Will he make way for didi? Wait and watch.