In a major political move ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026, Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate list for 291 Assembly seats out of 294, dropping 33 per cent of the party’s sitting MLAs and introducing a significant number of new faces.
The announcement was made from her Kalighat residence in the presence of the party’s All-India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. During the announcement, Mamata also launched sharp attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission of India, warning of “retaliation” while criticising the poll body in strong terms.
The TMC has denied tickets to 74 incumbent MLAs—around one-third of its sitting legislators—in what is being seen as a strategic move to counter anti-incumbency at the grassroots level. Several prominent names missing from the list include Manoj Tiwari (Howrah Shibpur), Vivek Gupta (Jorasanko), and Malda leaders Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, Sabitri Mitra, Ratna De Nag, and Paresh Pal.
At the same time, the party has prioritised younger candidates, with over 61 per cent of nominees falling within the 30–50 age group. The list also reflects social representation, with 78 candidates from Scheduled Castes, 17 from Scheduled Tribes, and 47 from minority communities.
Sources indicated that the large-scale reshuffle was aimed at minimising local dissatisfaction. While the party remains confident of its electoral prospects in many constituencies, it opted to replace sitting MLAs in areas where anti-incumbency could pose a risk.
In addition to dropping candidates, the TMC has reshuffled constituencies for 15 sitting MLAs. Notably, Humayun Kabir has been shifted from Debra to Domkal, while Debra will now be contested by former minister Rajib Banerjee. Ratna Chatterjee has been moved from Behala East to Behala West, while Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay will contest from Ballygunge instead of Khardaha. Saokat Molla has been fielded from Bhangar, replacing his earlier seat in Canning.
Despite requests from some leaders for seat changes, not all demands were accepted. For instance, Jyotipriya Mallick’s request to contest from a constituency other than Habra was declined.
The list also features several new faces, including Debangshu Bhattacharya from Chinsurah, Ritabrata Banerjee from Uluberia East, Debdeep Purohit from Khardaha, Kunal Ghosh from Beliaghata, Trinankur Bhattacharya from Noapara, Subhashis Chakraborty from Behala East, and Subhashis Das from Maheshtala.
With the announcement, the ruling party has signalled a mix of continuity and change as it gears up for a high-stakes electoral battle in the state.
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