Trinamool Congress Unveils Full Candidate List for Bengal Assembly Elections
In a significant political move, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) released its entire list of 291 candidates for next month’s assembly elections in West Bengal on Tuesday. The party’s founder and mascot, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will contest from her home constituency of Bhowanipore, as she announced the list at a press conference before handing it over to party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Target Set at 226 Seats in 294-Member Assembly
Banerjee set an ambitious target for her party, aiming to secure 226 seats in the 294-seat assembly. She made a strong appeal to all opposition parties to unite, urging them to “vote for Bengal, vote for Trinamool.” Emphasizing the battle against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), she stated, “This is a fight to protect Bengal’s identity, address, and asmita. BJP has no chance here.” She called for a boycott of the BJP to ensure its complete rout in the state.
Candidate List Reflects Mix of Experience and Fresh Faces
The 291-strong list, which leaves three seats for ally Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha in the Darjeeling Hills, shows the party’s faith in its old guard by retaining 135 incumbent MLAs. However, it also omits 74 sitting legislators, including prominent figures such as Trinamool veteran Paresh Pal from Beleghata, Vivek Gupta from Jorasanko, former cricketer Manoj Tiwari from Shibpur, and actors Chiranjit from Barasat and Kanchan Mullick from Uttarpara. Two cabinet ministers, Tajmul Hossein from Harishchandrapur and Jyotsna Mandi from Ranibandh, were also dropped, while disgraced former education minister Partha Chattopadhyay did not feature on the list, with Ratna Chatterjee contesting from Behala West instead.
Banerjee explained the omissions, saying, “Some old and dedicated workers had to be left out to accommodate new faces. This is the party’s final decision, and everyone should respect it.” She encouraged those not selected to remain engaged in party work.
Youth and Diversity Highlighted in Nominations
Abhishek Banerjee highlighted the focus on youth, with 177 candidates below 60 years of age, including 42 under 40, and 52 women nominees. The list includes fresh faces like heptathlete Swapna Barman and former Bengal cricketer Shibshankar Paul, adding star power. Children of loyal party members, such as Kalyan Bandyopadhyay’s son Sirsanya and Sadhan Pande’s daughter Shrreya, received tickets, along with Vasundhara, daughter of former Left Front minister Kshiti Goswami. Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh will contest his first assembly poll from Beleghata.
CM Banerjee emphasized the party’s balanced approach, stating, “We have given opportunities to experienced legislators as well as students and youths who are new to politics.”
Confidence in Victory and Criticism of Election Commission
Expressing confidence in a sweeping victory, Banerjee coined the motto “2026-e 226” and criticized the BJP as a “fair-weather friend” that only appears during elections. She also slammed the Election Commission over the deployment of central forces, calling it illegal and biased. “The EC is acting under BJP’s instructions with political bias. This is ‘Tughlaqi Raj’,” she said, warning that such actions could disrupt education and polling processes.
Despite these challenges, Banerjee reiterated her faith in public support, declaring, “EC and Centre can take away power, but they cannot take away people’s support. Bangla will win. We will win.”
