New Delhi/Kolkata, March 16 – The BJP on Monday released its first list of 144 candidates for the West Bengal assembly elections, setting the stage for the electoral battle. The list includes Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, who is contesting from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, directly challenging Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting from Bhabanipur.
This announcement in New Delhi signals the BJP's strategy to focus the electoral narrative on Banerjee versus Adhikari while largely retaining its current MLAs and inducting candidates from diverse professional backgrounds to broaden its social reach ahead of the two-phase elections on April 23 and 29.
Adhikari's candidature in both Nandigram and Bhabanipur is seen as a key decision by the party, highlighting his role as the principal leader of the BJP in Bengal.
While Nandigram holds significant political importance as the center of the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement that propelled Banerjee to power, it also witnessed a dramatic electoral battle in 2021 when Adhikari defeated Banerjee by a narrow margin of approximately 1,900 votes.
Bhabanipur, on the other hand, is considered Banerjee's stronghold. She won the seat in a 2021 by-election with a margin of over 58,000 votes.
Adhikari stated after the announcement that he would win both seats and defeat Mamata Banerjee again, expressing confidence that the BJP could challenge the ruling TMC even in its perceived strongholds.
Political analysts say this decision also reflects the BJP's reliance on Adhikari's organizational network across coastal Bengal and the Jungle Mahal region, where he maintains significant influence.
"The BJP is clearly trying to personalize the election around a Mamata versus Suvendu narrative. By fielding him in Bhabanipur, the party is seeking to symbolically challenge the chief minister on her home turf," said a Kolkata-based political analyst.
The first list also indicates the BJP's preference for continuity, with the party renomining 41 of its sitting MLAs. Among those repeated are Agnimitra Paul from Asansol South, Chandana Bauri from Saltora, and Shikha Chatterjee from Dabgram-Phulbari.
Former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh will once again contest from Kharagpur Sadar, while former Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta has been fielded from the Rashbehari assembly seat in south Kolkata.
Two of the candidates are former MPs, and three are ex-MLAs. Female candidates have been given representation on 11 of the announced seats.
The saffron party fielded candidates below 40 years of age in 36 seats, "as a symbol of trust in the youth". Similarly, 72 nominees are in the 41 to 55 age group, while 32 candidates are in the 56 to 70 years age bracket. Four candidates are above the age of 70.
The list reflects a deliberate attempt to project social diversity, with the BJP highlighting candidates drawn from varied professional backgrounds. Of the 144 nominees, 57 come from fields such as teaching, law, medicine, social work, and the armed forces.
Teachers account for the largest group with 23 candidates, while the party has also fielded advocates, doctors, retired military personnel, journalists, and cultural personalities such as actor Rudranil Ghosh. Former India cricketer Ashok Dinda has been renominated from Moyna.
Soumitra Chattopadhyay, from the family of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has been made the candidate from Naihati.
"This list reflects grassroots representation and social diversity. Many candidates have strong public engagement in their respective professions," a senior BJP leader said.
The inclusion of 41 sitting MLAs and three former legislators suggests that the party has opted to bank on existing political networks rather than undertake a large-scale reshuffle.
The BJP's list comes amid intense political debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has triggered controversy after large-scale deletions in several constituencies.
In Bhabanipur alone, over 47,000 names have been struck off the voters' list while more than 14,000 remain under adjudication, developments that have already begun shaping the constituency's political discourse ahead of the polls.
In Nandigram, about 11,000 names have been removed from the electoral rolls during the revision process.
The BJP has argued that the exercise is necessary to remove alleged "bogus voters", while the TMC has accused the saffron party of attempting to manipulate the electorate.
A senior TMC leader dismissed the BJP's candidate list as "political theatrics".
"Fielding Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur is more about optics than ground reality. The BJP knows the CM retains a strong support base in the constituency," the leader said.
However, BJP leaders insisted the party was entering the election with renewed confidence, pointing to its rapid political rise in the state – from a marginal vote share of around four per cent in the 2011 assembly polls to over 38 per cent in 2021, when it emerged as the principal opposition.
Analysts say the first candidate list reveals a strategy built around three pillars: projecting Adhikari as the central challenger to Banerjee, consolidating existing legislative bases by repeating sitting MLAs, and widening the party's social outreach through candidates from varied professional and community backgrounds.