Suvendu Adhikari Files EC Complaint Over Alleged Police Surveillance in Bhabanipur

Leader of the Opposition and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari has lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that the Kolkata Police is conducting “state-sponsored political espionage” during his campaign. Adhikari, who is contesting the high-profile Bhabanipur seat against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2026 Assembly polls, claimed that approximately 25 plain-clothes personnel from the Special Branch have been shadowing his every move. He alleged that these officers are tasked with recording the identities of every household and citizen he visits during his door-to-door outreach. In a letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Adhikari described the presence of these officers as a tactic to “strike fear into ordinary citizens” who interact with the opposition. He specifically named several officers and provided service numbers, requesting their immediate transfer out of Kolkata and a ban on their involvement in election-related duties.

The BJP leader further urged the Commission to initiate an independent inquiry into the surveillance, arguing that the local police are being used as a “personal intelligence wing” for the ruling Trinamool Congress. TMC has yet to issue a formal rebuttal to these specific surveillance claims, though the party has previously dismissed such accusations as “election-season theatrics.” As Bhabanipur prepares to vote on April 29, this row over police neutrality adds another layer of tension to what is already the most-watched contest of the 2026 elections. With polling in Nandigram also approaching on April 23, the Election Commission’s response to these surveillance allegations will be closely scrutinized by both sides as they navigate the final, high-intensity phases of the campaign.