Assembly Elections 2026: BJP releases first lists of candidates for West Bengal and Kerala

In Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari pitted against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhawanipur.

The BJP on Monday released the first list of 47 candidates for Kerala Assembly polls. The saffron party fielded Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the Nemom seat. The party also fielded former Union minister George Kurian from Kanjirappally constituency.

In Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari has been pitted against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhawanipur. Former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta was fielded from Rashbehari.

Dilip Ghosh has been fielded from Kharagpur Sadar, Biman Mahto from Salboni, both in Paschim Medinipur district, while Swapan Dasgupta will contest the Rasbehari seat in south Kolkata.

Assembly polls will be held on a single day in Kerala on April 9, while the counting of votes will be held on May 4.

On the other side, 294 seats in West Bengal will go to polls in two phases – April 23 and April 29 – with the counting scheduled on May 4.

(With PTI inputs)