TMC Releases List of 291 Candidates; Mamata Banerjee vs Suvendu Adhikari Likely in Bhabanipur

Kolkata: The All India Trinamool Congress has released its list of 291 candidates for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from the Bhabanipur constituency, where she is likely to face senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari. The seat is being seen as one of the most high-profile contests of the election.

Announcing the candidate list, Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the BJP, stating that the upcoming election is not merely a battle for power but a fight to protect Bengal’s identity and dignity. She expressed confidence that the people of the state would strongly support the Trinamool Congress and that the BJP would face a decisive defeat.

Mamata Banerjee also took a swipe at the Election Commission, raising questions over certain decisions and stressing that the election process must remain fair and transparent. She claimed that the Trinamool Congress would win more than 226 seats in the election and secure another strong mandate from the people.

Opportunity for Young Faces

According to party sources, Mamata Banerjee and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee have placed special emphasis on young leaders and emerging faces in the selection of candidates this time. Several new faces have been given party tickets as part of a strategy to infuse fresh energy into the party organisation.

For the past several weeks, speculation had been rife over the candidate selection, with various names doing the rounds. Bringing an end to the speculation, the Trinamool Congress has now officially released its candidate list.

Political analysts believe that the likely contest between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur could emerge as the most talked-about and symbolic battle of the election, drawing attention from across the country.