After nearly two decades, the Congress in West Bengal is gearing up to fight the Assembly elections independently, contesting all 294 constituencies and mounting an aggressive campaign with a full roster of senior leaders.
Several prominent state leaders, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Subhankar Sarkar, Mausam Benazir Noor, and Nepal Mahato, have entered the electoral fray, signaling the party’s intent to reassert its presence in the state’s political landscape. To bolster the campaign, top national leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, are expected to campaign in the state.
On Monday evening, the party released a list of 40 “star campaigners,” featuring heavyweight leaders at the top alongside figures such as Shashi Tharoor, Salman Khurshid, and Deepa Dasmunsi. In a formal communication to the Election Commission (EC) of India, the Congress stated that these leaders would campaign during the first phase of polling on April 23, in compliance with Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Party leaders indicated that the strategy is aimed at maintaining political relevance in a highly competitive electoral environment. “We are deploying our heavyweight leaders across constituencies to connect directly with voters. This time, we are contesting independently, and all senior leaders will campaign vigorously,” a Congress leader said.
The party is also set to release its election manifesto on Tuesday in the presence of Kharge, state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar, and party observers Ghulam Ahmed Mir and Pradip Bhattacharya.
Meanwhile, several Congress candidates are scheduled to file their nomination papers the same day. A rally marking the occasion will begin from Hazra Crossing near Ashutosh College in Kolkata. Candidates including Ashutosh Chattopadhyay, Rohan Mitra, Zeeshan Ahmed, Akib Gulzar, and Kashif Reza are expected to participate, along with senior leaders such as Ghulam Ahmed, B.K. Hariprasad, Uday Bhanu Chib, and Brijendra Pratap Singh.
State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said the party would focus on development-oriented politics. He asserted that voters are seeking governance centered on opportunities in education, healthcare, and employment, and emphasised the Congress’s commitment to democratic values, social harmony, and inclusive growth.
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