Congress Names 284 Bengal Candidates
Congress on Sunday released its first list of candidates for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, naming 284 nominees and signalling that the party is preparing for a full-scale solo contest in the state. The list includes senior leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Baharampur and several known faces from politically significant seats.
Congress Releases Bengal Candidate List
The candidate list covers 284 constituencies ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Among the most prominent names is Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who has been fielded from Baharampur. The announcement came after the party’s top leadership met to finalise names for the state battle, which is shaping up as an important test for Congress in Bengal.
Key Seats And Notable Candidates
Congress has nominated Pradip Prasad from Bhabanipur, a high-profile seat associated with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in recent years. Former MP Mausam Noor has been named from Malatipur. Other names in the list include Madhap Rai from Darjeeling, Abdul Hannan from Sujapur, Susmita Biswas from Dum Dum, Gautam Bhattacharya from Diamond Harbour, Souvik Mukherjee from Asansol Dakshin and Prasenjit Puitandi from Asansol Uttar.
West Bengal Election Contest Takes Shape
The announcement adds momentum to the election season in West Bengal, where voting is scheduled in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting set for May 4. Congress has chosen to go alone in this election instead of entering into a broader alliance arrangement. In the last Assembly election in 2021, the Trinamool Congress won 213 seats, while Congress and the Left failed to open their account, making this contest a major attempt at political recovery for the party.
