Bhabanipur election challenge deferred again, Calcutta High Court posts hearing after 6 weeks

New Delhi: The hearing in the Bhabanipur election petition challenging the outcome of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election has once again been postponed, with the Calcutta High Court directing that fresh notices be served on all parties. The case is now scheduled to be heard after six weeks.

The petition was filed by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee after she lost the Bhabanipur Assembly seat to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the 2026 election. Adhikari went on to become the Chief Minister after winning the constituency by a margin of 15,105 votes.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Mamata Banerjee’s counsel, Kalyan Banerjee, urged the court to expedite the proceedings.

“I have been practising since 1981, and only one case has been concluded three months before the completion of five years in this court. Please help set a precedent in this case,” the senior advocate told the court.

Justice Gaurang Kanth responded by assuring the counsel that efforts were being made to move the matter forward. The court also directed that fresh notices be issued to all concerned parties before the next hearing.

In her election petition, Mamata Banerjee has challenged the validity of the Bhabanipur election result. The petition alleges that she was leading after the completion of 12 rounds of counting, but the outcome changed thereafter. It further alleges that Trinamool Congress polling agents were assaulted and forcibly removed from the counting process.

The High Court has not expressed any opinion on the merits of these allegations, and the claims remain subject to judicial examination. The matter will now be taken up again after the six-week adjournment.