Kicking off the high-stakes battle for the 2026 Assembly elections, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee filed her nomination for the Bhowanipore constituency today. In a display of grassroots connect, she walked from Kalighat to the Alipore Survey Building accompanied by a sea of supporters. After submitting her papers, a confident Mamata declared, “The people’s mandate is clear. We are returning to power with a thumping majority.”

Beyond the electoral confidence, the Chief Minister sparked a new debate by stating that under-trial prisoners should be granted the right to vote. “Why should they be deprived of their democratic rights while their cases are pending?” she questioned. Meanwhile, the political temperature soared as BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Samik Bhattacharya challenged the TMC’s dominance, claiming a clean sweep for the saffron camp in Kolkata. The battle for Bhowanipore has officially turned into the epicenter of Bengal politics.