Bhabanipur Or Nandigram? Suvendu Adhikari Finally Chooses One Seat After Winning Both In Bengal Polls

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari officially decided to retain the Bhabanipur Assembly seat and resign from Nandigram on Wednesday, following his victories in both constituencies during the state elections. Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur by a margin of 15,105 votes, a closely watched contest in Kolkata, while also winning in Nandigram against Trinamool Congress candidate Pabitra Kar by 9,665 votes. The decision came after Adhikari took oath as the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal, confirming his choice of Bhabanipur as his official seat. Election rules prohibit holding two Assembly seats simultaneously, necessitating his resignation from Nandigram, which will trigger a bypoll. Adhikari assured Nandigram voters that he would continue supporting their development despite stepping down, stating, 'I will fulfil all development promises I made to the people of Nandigram alongside the rest of the state.' Adhikari also recalled his past support for former Nandigram MLA Phiroja Bibi between 2009 and 2016, emphasizing his commitment to the constituency’s progress even without being the official representative. His symbolic gestures on his first day in office included paying floral tributes to B.R. Ambedkar’s statue and kneeling at the Assembly entrance, drawing attention from political circles. The new government has already begun implementing key election promises, including the rollout of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in West Bengal. Adhikari described his first day at the state secretariat Nabanna as 'eventful,' with plans to review governance priorities in a meeting with departmental secretaries later in the day.