The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has released its comprehensive list of candidates for the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections. The announcement, made on March 17, 2026, covers 291 of the state's 294 Assembly seats, marking a strategic move by the ruling party as polling approaches in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.
Mamata Banerjee personally unveiled the list during a press conference at her residence on Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata. She was joined by key party figures, including national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and state president Subrata Bakshi. The TMC has allocated the remaining three seats - in the Darjeeling hills (Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Kurseong) - to its ally, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), led by Anit Thapa. “We have an understanding with them”, explained Banerjee.
The candidate list features 52 women candidates, 95 from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled tribe communities. There are 84 seats reserved but TMC has fielded 95 in total. As many as 135 sitting MLAs have been retained, though some seats see fresh faces to address anti-incumbency concerns and refresh the lineup. At least 15 existing MLAs have been shuffled.
A major highlight is Mamata Banerjee's decision to contest from Bhabanipur, her traditional stronghold in south Kolkata. This sets up a high-profile rematch against Suvendu Adhikari, who has been fielded from the same seat by the BJP. Adhikari, a former TMC heavyweight who defected to the BJP, had previously defeated Banerjee in Nandigram during the 2021 elections - a loss that was challenged before the court through election petition and still sub-judice and has also fuelled ongoing political rivalry. The Bhabanipur contest is expected to be one of the most watched battles, symbolising the broader TMC-BJP showdown across the state.
During the announcement, Banerjee expressed strong confidence in her party's prospects. She predicted the TMC would secure over 226 seats, well above a simple majority in the 294-member Assembly, and dismissed the BJP's chances, claiming the saffron party's tally would decline significantly from its 2021 performance. She also criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alleged biases and recent bureaucratic transfers in the state, framing the election as a fight to protect Bengal's identity and autonomy. “This battle is not to win a chair, this is to protect the very existence of Bengal. They have transferred most of the officers without consulting the state. This is unprecedented. ECI is trying to help BJP. But more BJP indulges in such petty politics, more they will decline. I have shown the history sign and can say with confidence- TMC in 2026 will get more than 226. They have deleted people through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and this time people will delete them”, said Banerjee
The release comes amid an intense pre-poll atmosphere, with other parties like the BJP (which announced its first list of 144 candidates a day earlier, including Adhikari from Bhabanipur and Nandigram) and the Left Front (which fielded 192 candidates in its initial slate) already in the fray. “We always share the full list unlike others. They wait to see who are not getting our ticket this time and then they will pull them and fight the election”, added Banerjee while exuding confidence.
Here’s the full candidate list of TMC
