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As counting for the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election begins on May 4, 2026, all eyes are now on the highly contested battlegrounds between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC). The results are to be declared in the crucial state on Monday across 77 counting centres.
The polls in the state were held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. A record-breaking voter turnout went to polling stations to elect all 294 members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. In West Bengal, notorious for poll-related violence, the Election Commission deployed over 3.5 lakh security personnel statewide, including the National Investigation Agency for the first time in a state election.
As mentioned before, the state elections recorded a historic voter turnout of 92.93 per cent, the highest ever in the state, surpassing the 2011 election. As the counting is underway with both TMC and BJP in a close race, here are the 10 key constituencies that will be watched closely.
The following are the 10 key constituencies in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections:
1) Bhabanipur
The south Kolkata seat has remained one of the strongest turf of the Trinamool Congress since the party came to power in 2011. One of the prime reasons for the same is the fact that the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, contests from here.
Interestingly, after she lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly polls, she returned to the state's legislative assembly by winning the Bhabanipur bypoll with 71.9 per cent of the votes.
This time, Mamata is fighting against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in this seat, who defeated her in Nandigram in 2021. Interestingly, the Election Commission of India deleted 47,094 names from the constituency's electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Apart from this, the ECI referred an additional over 14,000 electors to judicial officers for adjudication.
2) Nandigram
Located in Purba Medinipur district, Nandigram hold a strong place in Bengal's political history. The constituency was the epicentre of the anti-land acquisition movement in 2007 during the Left Front regime. Apart from this, the protests against a proposed chemical hub became a turning point that weakened the Left's three-decade rule and propelled Mamata Banerjee's rise to power.
The seat is often considered a referendum on the BJP's influence in coastal Bengal and the TMC's ability to retain support in politically volatile regions. Here, Suvendu Adhikari will be facing Pabitra Kar of the TMC.
3) Diamond Harbour
The constituency witnessed repolling in four of its booths on May 2, 2026, after verifying complaints about obstructing the EVM buttons of opposition candidates. It is pertinent to note that Diamond Harbour is politically significant because of its close association with TMC's organisational machinery in South Bengal.
Hence, a strong TMC performance here would strengthen the party's claim that its grassroots network remains intact despite a highly polarised campaign.
4) Kharagpur Sadar
Former President of the West Bengal wing of the BJP, Dilip Ghosh, contested from this seat against TMC's Pradip Sarkar and CPI(M)'s Madhusudan Roy. Ghosh played an instrumental role in expanding the BJP's influence in the state.
5) Panihati
Ratna Debnath is contesting with the BJP ticket from this assembly constituency located in the North 24 Parganas district. It is pertinent to note that Debnath is the mother of the victim in the 2024 RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case.
Hence, her entry into politics came at a time when she was still pursuing justice for her daughter. She is facing TMC's Tirthankar Ghosh and CPI(M)'s Kalatan Dasgupta.
6) Hingalganj
One of the most well-known faces of the Sandeshkhali protests, Rekha Patra, is contesting from this seat with the BJP ticket. Patra was fielded as the BJP's face in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Basirhat seat.
However, she lost to TMC's Haji Nurul Islam by a margin of over 3.33 lakh votes. The BJP took note of the fact that Patra managed to secure a lead over Islam, specifically in the Sandeshkhali assembly segment of the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.
7) Baharampur
Baharampur will see a high-profile contest between Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Indian National Congress and Subrata Maitra of the BJP, who is the sitting MLA there. It is important to note that Chowdhury has been a five-time MP from Baharampur and has served as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. However, he was defeated in the 2024 parliamentary polls.
8) Samserganj
Samserganj is a Muslim-majority constituency in Murshidabad where the Congress came second in the 2021 polls with 37 per cent votes against the TMC's 51 per cent. The seat drew attention in April 2025 following violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the district.
9) Domkal
Former IPS officer Humayun Kabir, who was once known for his tough policing and crackdown on organised crime, including the arrest of notorious gangster "Hathkata Dilip", is contesting from the Murshidabad constituency on a TMC ticket. He will be up against Mostafijur Rahaman of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
10) Kolkata Port
Finally, Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim is contesting again from the Kolkata Port assembly seat. It is the same constituency where the BJP has tried to aggressively target urban dissatisfaction over infrastructure, employment, and civic issues.
Overall, the tenure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on May 7, 2026. The preliminary contest shows a tight race.
The polls in the state were held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. A record-breaking voter turnout went to polling stations to elect all 294 members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. In West Bengal, notorious for poll-related violence, the Election Commission deployed over 3.5 lakh security personnel statewide, including the National Investigation Agency for the first time in a state election.
As mentioned before, the state elections recorded a historic voter turnout of 92.93 per cent, the highest ever in the state, surpassing the 2011 election. As the counting is underway with both TMC and BJP in a close race, here are the 10 key constituencies that will be watched closely.
10 key battlegrounds
The following are the 10 key constituencies in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections:
1) Bhabanipur
The south Kolkata seat has remained one of the strongest turf of the Trinamool Congress since the party came to power in 2011. One of the prime reasons for the same is the fact that the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, contests from here.
Interestingly, after she lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly polls, she returned to the state's legislative assembly by winning the Bhabanipur bypoll with 71.9 per cent of the votes.
This time, Mamata is fighting against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in this seat, who defeated her in Nandigram in 2021. Interestingly, the Election Commission of India deleted 47,094 names from the constituency's electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Apart from this, the ECI referred an additional over 14,000 electors to judicial officers for adjudication.
2) Nandigram
Located in Purba Medinipur district, Nandigram hold a strong place in Bengal's political history. The constituency was the epicentre of the anti-land acquisition movement in 2007 during the Left Front regime. Apart from this, the protests against a proposed chemical hub became a turning point that weakened the Left's three-decade rule and propelled Mamata Banerjee's rise to power.
The seat is often considered a referendum on the BJP's influence in coastal Bengal and the TMC's ability to retain support in politically volatile regions. Here, Suvendu Adhikari will be facing Pabitra Kar of the TMC.
3) Diamond Harbour
The constituency witnessed repolling in four of its booths on May 2, 2026, after verifying complaints about obstructing the EVM buttons of opposition candidates. It is pertinent to note that Diamond Harbour is politically significant because of its close association with TMC's organisational machinery in South Bengal.
Hence, a strong TMC performance here would strengthen the party's claim that its grassroots network remains intact despite a highly polarised campaign.
4) Kharagpur Sadar
Former President of the West Bengal wing of the BJP, Dilip Ghosh, contested from this seat against TMC's Pradip Sarkar and CPI(M)'s Madhusudan Roy. Ghosh played an instrumental role in expanding the BJP's influence in the state.
5) Panihati
Ratna Debnath is contesting with the BJP ticket from this assembly constituency located in the North 24 Parganas district. It is pertinent to note that Debnath is the mother of the victim in the 2024 RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case.
Hence, her entry into politics came at a time when she was still pursuing justice for her daughter. She is facing TMC's Tirthankar Ghosh and CPI(M)'s Kalatan Dasgupta.
6) Hingalganj
One of the most well-known faces of the Sandeshkhali protests, Rekha Patra, is contesting from this seat with the BJP ticket. Patra was fielded as the BJP's face in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Basirhat seat.
However, she lost to TMC's Haji Nurul Islam by a margin of over 3.33 lakh votes. The BJP took note of the fact that Patra managed to secure a lead over Islam, specifically in the Sandeshkhali assembly segment of the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.
7) Baharampur
Baharampur will see a high-profile contest between Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Indian National Congress and Subrata Maitra of the BJP, who is the sitting MLA there. It is important to note that Chowdhury has been a five-time MP from Baharampur and has served as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. However, he was defeated in the 2024 parliamentary polls.
8) Samserganj
Samserganj is a Muslim-majority constituency in Murshidabad where the Congress came second in the 2021 polls with 37 per cent votes against the TMC's 51 per cent. The seat drew attention in April 2025 following violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the district.
9) Domkal
Former IPS officer Humayun Kabir, who was once known for his tough policing and crackdown on organised crime, including the arrest of notorious gangster "Hathkata Dilip", is contesting from the Murshidabad constituency on a TMC ticket. He will be up against Mostafijur Rahaman of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
10) Kolkata Port
Finally, Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim is contesting again from the Kolkata Port assembly seat. It is the same constituency where the BJP has tried to aggressively target urban dissatisfaction over infrastructure, employment, and civic issues.
Overall, the tenure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on May 7, 2026. The preliminary contest shows a tight race.
