Kolkata : Political activity has intensified ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. After the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Trinamool Congress has also announced its candidates, releasing a list for 291 seats in one go. The list includes Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several senior party leaders.
Addressing a press conference, Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the BJP, thanking the people of Bengal and dedicating the candidate list to “Maa, Maati, Manush” and the state’s culture. She questioned why the BJP was “afraid” of contesting the elections.
Targeting the central government, she said elections should be fought fairly and asserted that the BJP stands no chance this time, predicting that its seat tally will decline compared to the previous election.
In key contests, Mamata Banerjee will contest from Bhabanipur against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. TMC’s new entrant Pavitra Kar has been fielded from Nandigram, where he will also face Suvendu Adhikari.
The party has also announced candidates for several other constituencies, including Sabina Yasmin (Sujapur), Jakir Hossain (Jangipur), Byron Biswas (Sagardighi), Udayan Guha (Dinhata), and Gautam Deb (Siliguri).
Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of 144 candidates, featuring prominent leaders including Suvendu Adhikari. Left parties have also declared their candidates.
Polling for all 294 assembly seats will be held in two phases—on April 23 and April 29—while counting of votes will take place on May 4.