The battle for Bhawanipore in the 2026 Assembly Elections has reached its peak. In a significant move, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly made an urgent call to her top lieutenants, Firhad Hakim and Subrata Bakshi, right in the middle of a strategy meeting. This ‘Prime Hour’ call underscores Mamata’s micro-management style as she aims to eliminate any potential threats in her home turf.

The Chief Minister’s intervention is specifically focused on six critical wards—63, 70, 71, 72, and 74—where the BJP has consistently outperformed the TMC since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It is a historical sore point for the party that in 2014, BJP’s Tathagata Roy actually led over Subrata Bakshi by 176 votes in this segment. Mamata’s “mantra” to the leaders was simple: no room for complacency and zero tolerance for internal bickering at the ward level.

Sources suggest that the Chief Minister has ordered a direct outreach program to address the concerns of the diverse linguistic communities living in these pockets. Firhad Hakim has been tasked with overseeing the civic issues in these wards personally, while Subrata Bakshi will manage the organizational machinery. Mamata’s message was clear—every ward must show a significant lead for the TMC. As the 2026 polls approach, this high-level monitoring signals that the TMC is not taking the BJP’s challenge in Bhawanipore lightly, despite it being a perceived stronghold.