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 a fierce battle, with senior leader Suvendu Adhikari contesting from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, directly challenging Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
This announcement in New Delhi signals the BJP's strategy to center the election narrative around a Mamata Banerjee versus Suvendu Adhikari contest, while heavily relying on continuity by renomining many sitting MLAs and bringing in candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Adhikari's candidature from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur is a key feature, highlighting his position as the BJP's principal field commander in Bengal and its central face in the fight against Banerjee.
While Nandigram holds significant political symbolism as the epicenter of the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement that propelled Banerjee to power, it also saw a dramatic electoral contest in 2021 when Adhikari defeated the CM by a narrow margin of around 1,900 votes.
Bhabanipur, in contrast, remains Banerjee's stronghold. She returned to the assembly from this South Kolkata seat in a by-election with a margin of over 58,000 votes after her defeat in Nandigram.
"I will win both seats and defeat Mamata Banerjee again," Adhikari stated, expressing confidence that the BJP could overcome the ruling party's perceived strongholds.
Political observers say the dual candidature reflects the BJP's strategy to personalize the election and project Adhikari as the principal challenger to Banerjee.
The first list also indicates a preference for maintaining organizational continuity.
The BJP renominated 41 of its sitting MLAs, including Agnimitra Paul from Asansol South, Chandana Bauri (Saltora) and Shikha Chatterjee (Dabgram-Phulbari). Former state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh will again contest from Kharagpur Sadar, while ex-Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta was fielded from Rashbehari in Kolkata.
In Birbhum's Suri, state BJP vice-president Jagannath Chattopadhyay has been renominated, while in Murshidabad district, where the party made modest inroads in 2021, both its sitting MLAs Subrata Maitra (Berhampore) and Gaurishankar Ghosh (Murshidabad) have been repeated.
However, there are signs of course corrections, as seven sitting MLAs were dropped in the first list.
The BJP denied a ticket to noted economist and MLA Ashok Lahiri from Balurghat, instead fielding Bidyut Roy. Similarly, Goghat MLA Biswanath Karak and Arambagh legislator Madhusudan Bag have been dropped, with Prashanta Digar and Hemanta Bag named in their places. In Kaliaganj, the party has replaced sitting MLA Soumen Roy with Utpal Maharaj.
The BJP has also sought to strengthen its organizational and caste equations.
State OBC Morcha president Shuvendu Sarkar has been fielded from Kumarganj in South Dinajpur, while former National Commission for Scheduled Castes acting chairman Arun Haldar has been nominated from Jamalpur in Purba Bardhaman district.
In the politically sensitive Barrackpore industrial belt, Pawan Singh, son of former MP Arjun Singh, has been renominated from Bhatpara.
The party has also nominated BJP leader Bharat Jhawar, a former Beldanga municipality chairman who was once close to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, from the Beldanga seat.
The list reflects the BJP's attempt to project social diversity and professional representation among its nominees.
Of the 144 candidates, 57 come from professional backgrounds including teaching, law, medicine, social work, and the armed forces. Teachers form the largest group with 23 nominees, while the party has also fielded advocates, doctors, retired military personnel, and cultural personalities such as actor Rudranil Ghosh.
Former India cricketer Ashok Dinda has been renominated from Moyna.
Two candidates are former MPs, and three are ex-MLAs, while women have been fielded in 11 constituencies. Thirty-six candidates are below 40 years, 72 fall in the 41-55 age group, while 32 are between 56 and 70 years old.
The BJP has also fielded Soumitra Chattopadhyay from Naihati, who belongs to the family of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, writer of Vande Mataram.
Analysts say the candidate list suggests the BJP is building its strategy around three broad pillars — projecting Adhikari as the central challenger to Banerjee, consolidating existing political networks by repeating sitting MLAs, and expanding social outreach through candidates drawn from varied professions and caste groups.
The announcement also comes amid controversy over the voter rolls after large-scale deletions of voters were reported from several constituencies.
In Bhabanipur alone, more than 47,000 names have reportedly been removed from the electoral rolls, roughly 11,000 less than Banerjee's 2021 victory margin, while over 14,000 remain under adjudication. In Nandigram, around 11,000 names have been struck off the voters' list.
"Fielding Suvendu in Bhabanipur is more about optics than ground reality. The chief minister retains a strong support base in the constituency," a TMC leader said.
However, BJP leaders said the party is entering the election with renewed confidence, pointing to its rise from around four per cent vote share in the 2011 assembly polls to over 38 per cent in 2021, when it emerged as the principal opposition.