Kolkata, 16 March (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its first list of 144 candidates for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The party has largely retained its sitting MLAs while introducing a few new faces as part of its electoral strategy.

A notable development in the list is the renomination of former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who has been fielded once again from his traditional Kharagpur Sadar constituency after reportedly remaining out of the organisational spotlight for some time.

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Suvendu Adhikari to contest from two key seats

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has been fielded from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, two politically significant constituencies. The move is being seen as a strong political statement by the BJP, especially with Adhikari expected to directly challenge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur if she contests from the seat.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta has been nominated from the Rashbehari constituency.

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Party retains several sitting MLAs

The BJP has reposed faith in several of its sitting legislators. Prominent among them are:

Agnimitra Paul from Asansol South

Chandana Bauri from Saltora

Shikha Chatterjee from Dabgram-Phulbari

Malati Rava Roy from Tufanganj

Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri

Pawan Singh from Bhatpara

Tickets have also been given to Sukumar Roy (Cooch Behar North), Manoj Oraon (Kumargram), Bishal Lama (Kalchini), Dipak Barman (Falakata) and Puna Bhengra (Nagrakata).

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Some sitting MLAs dropped

The party has also dropped a few sitting MLAs. Ashok Lahiri has not been renominated from Balurghat, with Bidyut Roy being fielded instead.

Similarly:

Prashant Digar has replaced Bishwanath Karak in Goghat

Hemanta Bag has been fielded from Arambagh in place of Madhusudan Bag

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Focus on North Bengal and tribal belts

The BJP has retained its candidates in several North Bengal and tribal-dominated constituencies, signalling organisational continuity. Candidates include Anandamoy Barman (Matigara-Naxalbari), Durga Murmu (Phansidewa), Budhrai Tudu (Tapan), Satyendranath Roy (Gangarampur), Jewel Murmu (Habibpur) and Chinmoy Deb Barman (Gazole).

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Organisational leaders also fielded

The party has also given tickets to key organisational functionaries. State OBC Morcha president Subhendu Sarkar has been fielded from Kumarganj, while state BJP vice-president Jagannath Chattopadhyay has been renominated from Suri.

Former acting chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Arun Haldar has been fielded from Jamalpur in Purba Bardhaman district.

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BJP retains candidates in Murshidabad

In Murshidabad district, the BJP has once again fielded Subrata Maitra from Baharampur and Gouri Shankar Ghosh from Murshidabad. Former Beldanga municipality chairman Bharat Jhawar has been nominated from Beldanga.

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Candidates repeated in Nadia and Hooghly

In Nadia district, both Ranaghat MLAs Parthasarathi Chatterjee and Asim Biswas have been renominated. Dipak Kumar Halder has been fielded from Diamond Harbour, while Biman Ghosh (Pursurah) and Sushanta Ghosh (Khanakul) have also been renominated in Hooghly district.

The BJP’s first list suggests a strategy balancing experience with organisational considerations. By retaining most sitting MLAs while making selective changes, the party appears to be aiming to consolidate its existing voter base while attempting to expand its social outreach.

The West Bengal Assembly elections for all 294 seats will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. The BJP’s first list is expected to intensify the electoral contest in the state.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh