Kolkata, 25 March (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially released its third list of candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, further intensifying its electoral preparations in the state. The list, approved by the party’s Central Election Committee and signed by National General Secretary and Headquarters In-Charge Arun Singh, includes names for 19 assembly constituencies across various districts.

The third list reflects a calibrated strategy by the party, combining experienced leaders with professionals and women candidates in an apparent attempt to strengthen its electoral prospects across regions. In North Bengal, Rathindra Nath Bose has been fielded from Cooch Behar South (4), while Dinesh Sarkar (Haradhan Sarkar) from Rajganj (SC) (18) and Haripada Barman from Hemtabad (33) have been nominated from reserved constituencies. From key border areas, Chitrajit Roy will contest from Islampur (29), and Amlan Bhaduri has been chosen for the crucial English Bazar (51) seat in Malda district.

In Nadia and North 24 Parganas, the party has named Swapan Das from Shantipur (86) and Ratna Debnath from Panihati (111), respectively. The Hooghly and Howrah belt has seen carefully selected nominations, with Biplab Mondal from Howrah Central (171) and Dipanjan Chakraborty from Uttarpara (185) entering the fray. In Hooghly district, Dr. Arup Kumar Das has been fielded from Singur (188), Dipanjan Kumar Guha from Chandannagar (189), Subir Nag from Chunchura (190), and Madhumita Ghosh from Haripal (196).

In South Bengal and adjoining regions, the party has nominated Dr. Hare Krishna Bera from Tamluk (203) and Dr. Shankar Guchhait from Medinipur (236), highlighting its preference for professional candidates in key constituencies. From Purba Bardhaman district, Pranakrishna Tapadar will contest from Purbasthali South (268), while Krishna Ghosh has been fielded from Katwa (270). In Birbhum district, Krishna Kanta Saha has been nominated from Sainthia (SC) (289), and Anil Singh from Nalhati (293), completing the third list.

It is noteworthy that the BJP has already announced candidates for a total of 273 seats across the state in its earlier two lists, indicating that the party has nearly finalized its lineup for the forthcoming elections.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh