West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: High-octane battle brews in Bengal as BJP fields Suvendu Adhikari from Mamata’s Bhabanipur

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced its first list of candidates for the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections, fielding Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari from Bhabanipur, a high-profile constituency currently represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Adhikari will also contest from Nandigram, where he defeated CM Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly Elections. After losing Nandigram to Adhikari, Mamata Banerjee won the Bhabanipur Assembly bypoll.

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The BJP’s move to field Adhikari, who was once a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, signals the party’s aggressive strategy against Banerjee, who has been ruling the state since 2011. It could also pave the way for another high-octane political battle, provided Ms Banerjee once again decides to contest from Bhabanipur.

Senior leader Dilip Ghosh will contest from Kharagpur Sadar and Biman Mahto from Salboni in West Medinipur district. The BJP has fielded Sawapan Gasgupta from the Rasbehari seat in South Kolkata.

Sumita Sinha from Kanthi Uttar in East Medinipur district, Biman Ghosh from Pursurah in Hooghly district, Madhavi Mahalder from Kultali in South 24 Parganas district, Bapan Ghosh from Kaliganj, Dipak Kumar Halder from Diamond Harbour, Agnimitra Paul from Asansol Dakshin, Krishnendu Mujhkerjee from Asansol Uttar, Nikhil Banerjee from Hansan, Sukumar Roy from Coochbehar Uttar, and Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri are the other prominent leaders who featured in the BJP’s first list of 144 candidates.

Check the full list below

West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: Schedule

The BJP’s first list of candidates came just a day after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. Voting in four states and a Union Territory will be held between April 9 and April 29, with the counting of votes taking place on May 4.

While elections in three states – Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu – and the Union Territory of Puducherry will be held in a single phase, the Election Commission has announced a two-phase polling schedule for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026.

In the first phase, polling will be held in 152 Assembly Constituencies on April 23. The gazette notification for the first phase will be issued on March 30, with the last date for filing nominations on April 6, scrutiny on April 7, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature on April 9.

The second phase will see the remaining 142 Assembly Constituencies go to the polls on April 29. The gazette notification for this phase will be issued on April 2, the last date for filing and withdrawing nominations will be April 9, and April 13, respectively.

The counting of votes for both phases will take place on May 4, and the results are also likely to be announced the same day.