West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | Mamata's fort, Suvendu's clout & SIR effect: 15 seats to watch out for

West Bengal is going to polls in two phases for its 294 seats, with the voters in the first phase to exercise their franchise on April 23 and the second phase voting will be held on April 29. But the biggest talking point in the state has been the controversial special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the TMC-ruled state, where party supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Election Commission and the BJP-ruled Centre of striking off names of eligible voters from the voter list. While the poll body has defended its action and Supreme Court continues hearing pleas over the electoral process, it remains to be seen how this pans out in the larger scheme of things, especially with the results out on May 4.

Let's take a look at some of the prominent seats and candidates pitted against each other in them and how is likely to affect the results of the politically charged state.

Bhabanipur

The state CM and ruling party chief Mamata Banerjee is contesting from her bastion in South Kolkata.

The most hotly watched constituency in the state, Banerjee is challenged by her former aide turned political foe Suvendu Adhikari from BJP. Congress has fielded Pradeep Prasad from the seat too.

Nandigram

Suvendu Adhikari is also contesting from his fort of Nandigram where he won in 2021 against Banerjee by a narrow margin. TMC has fielded Pabitra Kar against the Bengal LoP. Sekh Jariatul Hossain from the Congress is the third candidate from the seat.

Ballygunge

An important constituency in the south Kolkata area, Ballygunge has been a TMC bastion since 2006 when the Left lost out to the current ruling dispensation. Trinamool veteran Sovandeb Chattopadhyay is contesting from the prominent seat while the BJP has fielded Shatorupa from the seat. CPI(M)has fielded Afreen Begam from the seat.

Kolkata Port

The seat of Kolkata Port is currently held by TMC's Firhad Hakim, Banerjee's trusted aide and the seat is seen as a significant one in the party's scheme of things. The BJP has tried to make its way time and again and this time nominated Rakesh Singh to take on Hakim. The Congress has fielded Aquib Gulzar from the constituency.

Diamond Harbour

Another stronghold of the TMC with Banerjee's nephew and second-in-command Abhishek representing the area, Diamond Harbour seems to another seat in TMC's kitty easily this year too. The party has fielded Pannalal Halder from the seat this time as well and the BJP too fielded its last time's candidate Dipak Kumar Halder. Samarendra Nath Naiya is the third candidate from CPI(M).

Murshidabad

Murshidabad is a seat to watch out as it is expected to have a tightly contested election with incumbent BJP MLA Gouri Sankar Ghosh seeks to hold off TMC's Shaoni Singha Roy. Roy had won the seat in 2011 and 2016, who was then with the Congress, as the party had a significant presence in the area and still somewhat does. The grand old party has fielded Siddique Ali from the seat.

Jadavpur

Jadavpur was a CPI(M) stronghold during the Left Front rule and the TMC broke into the former's fortress in 2011. The urban seat is going to see a direct fight between TMC's Debabrata Majumdar and CPI(M)'s Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, a former mayor of Kolkata and a sitting Rajya Sabha MP. BJP has nominated Sarbari Mukherjee from the seat.

Kharagpur Sadar

Kharagpur Sadar is going to see a direct fight between former BJP state chief Dilip Ghosh and TMC's Pradeep Sarkar. Ghosh won the seat in 2016 and BJP's Hiran Chatterjee managed to keep Sarkar at bay in 2021.

This year, the fight comes down to Ghosh and TMC' Sarkar again. CPI(M) had fielded Madhusudan Roy from the seat.

Baharampur

The assembly seat of Baharampur in the Murshidabad district is currently held by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The incumbent MLA is Subrata Maitra, fielded again by the saffron party. TMC has fielded Naru Gopal Mukherjee. Congress’s candidate, former MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is expected to give a tough fight too.

Mathabhanga (SC)

Former Union Minister Nisith Pramanik is contesting the assembly election on a BJP ticket from the Mathabhanga (SC) seat in Cooch Behar district. TMC has fielded Sablu Barman against him.

CPI(M)'s Khagen Chandra Barman is contesting, aiming for a turnaround for the Left Front in North Bengal.

Panihati

Ratna Debnath, the mother of the woman doctor who was raped and murdered in the RG Kar hospital inn 2024 has been fielded by the BJP from the Panihati assembly seat. She faces off with TMC's Tirthankar Ghosh. The CPI(M) fielded Kalatan Dasgupta from the seat.

Gaighata

Gaighata in North 24 Parganas is one of the Assembly seats which has been traditionally a BJP stronghold due to its large number of Matua voterbase. The constituency is a SC seat. In the 2021 Assembly Elections, Subrata Thakur from BJP won the seat. But it remains to be seen what the SIR's outcome will be for the seat as a large number of Matua voters were also removed from the list. TMC has fielded Narottam Biswas while the Left has fielded Sajal Biswas.

Sandeshkhali

Sandeshkhali is an important seat to watch out for as the area came under national limelight after charges by women of exploitation against TMC's Shahjahan Sheikh were brought to the forefront, showcasing the fight over women’s safety and anti-incumbency against the TMC. Jharna Sardar has been fielded by the TMC while the BJP has fielded Sanat Sardar. CPI(M)'s Rabindra Nath Mahato is the third face to watch out for.

Asansol Dakshin

Situated in the industrial belt of Paschim Bardhaman district, the constituency is currently represented by BJP’s Agnimitra Paul since 2021.

The region has a mix of industrial workers, traders and urban middle-class voters, thus making it a key seat to watch out for. The BJP has fielded Paul this time as well and the TMC candidate Tapas Banerjee is facing off her. Though the fight is majorly between the TMC and BJP, CPI(M)'s Shilpi Chakraborty is the other face in the electoral battle to watch out for.

Bhangar

Bhangar was brought under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police in 2024 owing to the sensitivity of the region marked by frequent political clashes between the TMC, which won the seat in 2016, and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) which currently holds political sway in the area after snatching it in 2021. Nawsad Siddique from ISF is contesting this time while Saokat Molla will face off against him from TMC. The BJP has fielded Jayanta Gayen from the seat.