W Bengal Assembly Election 2026: BJP announces 144 candidates; Suvendu Adhikari fielded from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, will Mamata contest against him?
W Bengal Assembly Election 2026: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its first list of candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026. The initial list comprises the names of 144 candidates. The party has fielded Suvendu Adhikari from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur constituencies.
Adhikari had defeated Mamata in 021 Assembly elections from Nandigram
These two seats are among the most high-profile constituencies in Bengal politics, where a direct face-off between W Bengal Chief Minister Mamata and Suvendu Adhikari has frequently been witnessed. Suvendu Adhikari had defeated Mamata in the 2021 Assembly elections from the Nandigram seat.
Following her defeat in Nandigram, Mamata Banerjee retained the Chief Minister's post by winning a by-election from Bhabanipur. Notably, the Bhabanipur seat is considered a strong bastion of the TMC. Consequently, the political battle between the TMC and the BJP over these two seats is widely regarded as a key factor that will determine the future trajectory of Bengal politics.
Former State President Dilip Ghosh has been fielded as the candidate from the Kharagpur Sadar constituency. Out of the BJP's list of 144 candidates, tickets have been allotted to only 11 women.
It will now be interesting to see from which constituency Mamata Banerjee's name appears in the TMC's list of candidates. She suffered a defeat in Nandigram during the last election, whereas she currently serves as the MLA for Bhabanipur. Now, Suvendu Adhikari has been fielded in the electoral fray in both these constituencies.
Will Mamata engage in a direct contest against Suvendu
The biggest question now is whether Mamata Banerjee will engage in a direct contest against him, or if she would prefer to contest from a third constituency. All eyes will be fixed on these developments. This is precisely why anticipation regarding the announcement of Mamata Banerjee's candidature has intensified, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the release of the TMC's list of candidates.
The strategy of fielding Suvendu Adhikari against Mamata Banerjee is being considered highly effective; for if she herself becomes embroiled in a fierce electoral battle, it will become extremely difficult for her to campaign effectively in other constituencies.
BJP also released its first list of candidates for Kerala
The party has also released its first list of candidates for Kerala, announcing the names of 47 candidates out of a total of 140 seats. The party has fielded its state unit president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, from the Nemom constituency. Chandrasekhar had previously lost to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Thiruvananthapuram seat in Kerala.
The party has nominated K. Surendran as its candidate for the Manjeshwar constituency, while Navya Haridas has been given the ticket for Kozhikode North. Additionally, Advocate George Kurian has been fielded from Kanjirappally, and V. Muraleedharan from Kazhakkoottam.
On Sunday, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in four states—West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam—as well as in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Voting in Kerala is scheduled for April 9, and the results will be declared on May 4.