West Bengal Election 2026: Phase 2 Voting Seat Preview And Key Constituencies

Last Updated:April 27, 2026, 21:00 IST

The election in West Bengal will enter its most crucial phase, with 142 constituencies to go for polling on April 29.

West Bengal Election 2026: The first phase of the high-octane West Bengal Assembly election concluded with a record 92% turnout. Now, the election will enter its most crucial phase during the second phase, with 142 constituencies across South Bengal and Kolkata to go to polls on April 29, which is expected to play a major role in shaping the political momentum.

The voting will be held across eight major districts of the states, including Kolkata North, Kolkata North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Howrah. These seats are considered Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s core stronghold, but the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is in for a tough fight from the BJP.

The stakes are higher for the BJP, as TMC has historically dominated in these districts. The second phase offers key battleground constituencies with thin margins, and any wins will influence the state-wide momentum.

Full List Of Phase 2 Constituencies

This phase comprises the core strongholds of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including Kolkata and its surrounding urban industrial belts, which have a higher female population.

Why Is This Phase Important?

This phase is the potential “decider" on who gets the Chief Minister’s chair on May 4. The seats that will vote in the second phase cover Kolkata North, Kolkata South, Howrah, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman, which have traditionally been TMC strongholds.

In 2021, the TMC maintained a dominant performance and won 123 of these 142 seats, while the BJP could only muster 18 seats. South Bengal includes around 70 assembly constituencies where the Muslim population is key, and it remains to be seen whether they will go with the TMC or vote for other parties.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has added a new layer to the political slugfest in the second phase. Several Matua-dominated seats in North 24 Parganas have witnessed mass voter deletions, leading to a fierce blame game between the BJP and the TMC.

The BJP, which won 77 seats in 2021, has gone all out to breach TMC’s fortress in south Bengal, with a tireless poll campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states. The BJP has banked on law and order, illegal infiltration and corruption to challenge the TMC, while Mamata Banerjee has pitched the battle as a woman leader taking on an outside force (bohiragato).

Key Constituencies

All eyes would be on Bhabanipur, where Mamata Banerjee would take on BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in a make-or-break contest on her home turf. Last year, Banerjee won with a record margin of 58,832 votes in a by-poll after losing to Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, and this time, the contest is expected to be impacted by the SIR process.

In Kolkata Port, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim is up against BJP candidate Rakesh Singh, with the minority-dominated constituency seen as crucial for the ruling party in central Kolkata. Other important seats include Bhatpara, Jagatdal and Barrackpur, Bangaon, Dum Dum, Sandeshkhali, Hingalganj, Ranaghat Uttar and Dakshin, Rashbehari, Jadavpur and Ballygunge.

Candidate Profile

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 23% of candidates – 338 out of 1,445 analysed – have pending criminal cases, with 295 facing serious charges.

Among major parties, the ADR report states that 102 (72%) of 141 candidates from the BJP, 49 (35%) of 142 from the TMC, 51 (51%) of 100 from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and 37 (26%) of 142 from the Indian National Congress have declared criminal cases in their election affidavits.

The report also notes that 63 out of 142 constituencies (44%) are classified as “red alert", meaning they have three or more candidates with criminal cases.

In terms of wealth, ADR found that 103 (73%) of 142 candidates from the Trinamool Congress, 73 (52%) of 141 from the BJP, 36 (25%) of 142 from the Congress, and 33 (33%) of 100 from the CPI(M) have declared assets exceeding ₹1 crore.

News india West Bengal Election 2026: Phase 2 Voting Seat Preview And Key Constituencies

Read More