West Bengal Election 2026: The Seats That Will Decide the Fate of the State
The people of West Bengal have spoken, and now it's time to count the votes. On May 4, the results of the high-stakes election will be declared, and the state will know who will be its new rulers. The Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are the two main contenders for power.
For the voters of Bengal, the choice was simple: continuity or change. And they have made their voices heard. From April 27 to 29, the state saw record voter turnout, with many people eager to cast their ballots and shape the future of the state.
But before we get to the results, let's take a closer look at some of the key seats that will decide the fate of West Bengal. One of these seats is Nandigram, where the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari is eyeing his second consecutive victory. He will be up against the Trinamool Congress' Pabitra Kar.
Nandigram has been a BJP stronghold since 2021, when Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee on this very seat. And this time around, the BJP is confident of retaining this seat. In fact, Suvendu Adhikari has been vocal about the party's prospects in the state, saying that the BJP will secure victory across constituencies in the area.
Another seat that will be closely watched on May 4 is Bhabanipur, the constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This is the second time that Suvendu Adhikari, who once served as Mamata's aide, is challenging her on this seat. Will he be able to unseat her this time around?
The Baruipur Paschim constituency has been a firm Trinamool Congress bastion, with senior leader Biman Banerjee winning all three elections since its reconfiguration in 2008. But the BJP has been expanding its presence in the region, making this seat a closely contested one.
The Dum Dum Uttar assembly constituency, represented by senior minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, was once a TMC stronghold but has become more competitive in recent years. The BJP has been gaining ground in the area, making this seat a key battleground.
The fight in Kolkata Port is between the BJP's Rakesh Singh, the TMC's Firhad 'Bobby' Hakim, and the CPM's Faiyaz Ahmad Khan. The seat has seen a significant drop in the number of voters after the Special Intensive Revision exercise, which could impact the election results.
The Panihati constituency is another key seat in Bengal, where the BJP has given a ticket to Ratna Debnath, the mother of the junior doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered in August 2025. The Trinamool has picked Tirthankar Ghosh, son of a party veteran, to contest against her.