On March 17, 2026, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), announced the party’s candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections. This announcement comes as the TMC prepares to contest 291 of the 294 available seats in the state, with the remaining three seats allocated to their ally, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), specifically in the Darjeeling hills.

Voting for the 294 Assembly seats is scheduled to occur in two phases on April 23 and April 29, 2026. The counting of votes will take place on May 4, 2026. Banerjee expressed her confidence in the TMC’s prospects, stating, “We will win more than 226 seats in the 2026 Assembly polls.” This statement underscores the party’s ambition to secure a fourth consecutive term in West Bengal.

In a notable contest, Mamata Banerjee will be running from the Bhabanipur seat, where she faces off against Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP candidate. Adhikari previously defeated Banerjee in the 2021 elections in Nandigram by a narrow margin of 1,956 votes, making this a significant rematch.

Banerjee reassured party leaders and workers who were not included in the candidate list that they would be accommodated within the organization, emphasizing unity within the party. She also criticized the BJP, predicting a decrease in their seat count due to what she termed their “anti-people policies.”

“The BJP’s tally will decrease in this election. They will receive a befitting reply for their anti-people policies,” Banerjee stated, highlighting her party’s strategy to capitalize on dissatisfaction with the opposition.

As the election date approaches, the political landscape in West Bengal remains charged, with the TMC aiming to reaffirm its dominance in the region. The outcome of this election will be closely watched, given the historical context of the previous election results and the ongoing rivalry between the TMC and the BJP.

With the stakes high, both parties are gearing up for a fierce electoral battle, and the decisions made in the coming weeks will be crucial for their respective strategies.

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