TMC opts for calibrated churn in Bengal list, Mamata–Adhikari face-off set in Bhabanipur

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday announced candidates for 291 of the 294 West Bengal Assembly seats, signalling a strategy of controlled churn and organisational continuity as it seeks a fourth consecutive term in office.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from Bhabanipur, where the BJP has fielded Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, setting up a direct contest between the two rivals who last faced off in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Announcing the list from her Kalighat residence, Banerjee said the party would leave three seats in the Darjeeling hills to ally BGPM (Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha) led by Anit Thapa.

“We will contest 291 seats and win more than 226,” she said, flanked by party leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Subrata Bakshi.

Strategy of ‘controlled churn’

The candidate list reflects what party leaders described as a calibrated attempt to manage anti-incumbency while retaining organisational strength.

Of the 291 candidates, the TMC has retained 135 sitting MLAs, dropped around 75 legislators, and shifted about 15 to new constituencies.

The reshuffle comes despite the party’s strong performance in 2021, when it won 215 seats and later increased its tally to 225 through bypolls and defections.

Political observers said the move indicates a “targeted anti-incumbency management exercise”.

“The party is trying to refresh its electoral face without weakening its booth-level machinery,” a Kolkata-based analyst said.

Limited reliance on star power

Unlike previous elections, the TMC has placed limited emphasis on celebrity candidates, prioritising organisational figures with local influence.

The list includes a mix of professionals and public figures, including Olympian Swapna Barman from Rajganj and former cricketer Shib Shankar Pal from Tufanganj.

Actor-politician Soham Chakraborty has been shifted to Tehatta, while party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh will contest from Beliaghata.

Several senior ministers, including Firhad Hakim, Javed Ahmed Khan, Arup Biswas, Indranil Sen and Chandrima Bhattacharya, have been renominated from their existing constituencies.

Social and generational mix

According to party data, the list includes 52 women, 95 SC/ST candidates, and 47 minority nominees, reflecting the party’s traditional social coalition.

The selection also indicates a generational shift, with four candidates below 31 years of age and 38 in the 31–40 age group.

Younger entrants include Shreya Pandey from Maniktala and Sirsan Banerjee from Uttarpara.

Among those dropped are Chiranjeet Chakraborty, Partha Chatterjee and Paresh Pal.

Focus on key battlegrounds

In Nandigram, where Banerjee lost narrowly to Adhikari in 2021, the TMC has fielded Pabitra Kar, a former BJP-linked local leader who recently joined the party.

The move is seen as an attempt to strengthen grassroots networks in a politically symbolic constituency.

The party has also retained key district leaders in regions such as Birbhum, North 24 Parganas and south Bengal’s rural belt, considered crucial to its electoral base.

The announcement comes ahead of a high-stakes election in which the TMC faces anti-incumbency after nearly 15 years in power, alongside an aggressive campaign by the BJP.

The political environment is also shaped by controversy over the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls, with reports of voter deletions in several districts adding to the charged atmosphere.