Bhabanipur: Perhaps the most high-profile Assembly constituency in the state owing to its representation by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the south Kolkata seat of Bhabanipur has remained a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) since the party came to power in 2011. The Trinamool supremo has won two Assembly bypolls and one full-term election from this seat, which also houses her residence.
Nandigram: In the 2021 Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee was defeated by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram by a narrow margin. Banerjee challenged the result before the Calcutta High Court but later returned to the Assembly by winning the Bhabanipur bypoll the same year with 71.9 per cent of the votes.
Ballygunge: The south Kolkata constituency of Ballygunge offers a unique social mix. It houses some of the city’s most prominent addresses, marked by high-rise residential complexes and affluent neighbourhoods, alongside middle- and upper-middle-class localities and widespread shanty settlements. Urdu-speaking Muslims, Bengali-speaking Hindus, non-Bengali Hindus and a small Christian population in pockets such as Mullickbazar and Park Circus together make up the constituency’s roughly 2.75 lakh electorate. TMC candidate Babul Supriyo won the 2022 bypoll, necessitated by the demise of TMC minister Subrata Mukherjee. Having wrested the seat from the CPI(M) in 2006 — when it had been a Left stronghold since 1977 — the TMC has retained Ballygunge in every subsequent election. With Supriyo now moving to the Rajya Sabha on a TMC ticket, attention remains on who Mamata Banerjee chooses as the party’s candidate.
Kolkata Port: Considered one of the politically significant seats in the city, Kolkata Port lies along the western fringes of Kolkata bordering the Hooghly river. The constituency includes densely populated neighbourhoods and a significant minority voter base. It is currently represented by TMC’s Firhad Hakim, who won the seat comfortably in the 2021 Assembly election. While the constituency has remained a TMC stronghold, opposition parties such as the BJP and Congress have attempted to make inroads.
Bhangar: Located in South 24 Parganas district, Bhangar was brought under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police in 2024 to improve policing in the politically sensitive region. The constituency has witnessed frequent clashes between the TMC and the Indian Secular Front (ISF). ISF’s Nawsad Siddique, who won the seat in 2021 by over 26,000 votes against his nearest TMC rival, remains the only non-BJP opposition MLA in the Assembly. Bhangar thus stands as a rare break in TMC’s dominance in south Bengal, making it a seat the ruling party will be keen to reclaim.
A renewed electoral understanding between the ISF and the CPI(M) — which had won the seat multiple times between 1972 and 2011 and still retains committed voters — could strengthen Siddique’s chances. Meanwhile, factional rivalry within the TMC, reportedly involving party strongman Arabul Islam and Canning Purba MLA Saokat Molla, continues to complicate the party’s prospects in the constituency.Baruipur Paschim: Represented by Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee since 2011, the Baruipur Paschim seat — part of the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency — has long been a TMC fortress. However, recent electoral trends suggest a growing challenge from the BJP and the CPI(M). The constituency has over 2.32 lakh registered voters, with Muslim voters accounting for more than 30 per cent of the electorate. While the TMC continues to dominate, the opposition has gradually increased its vote share. The BJP emerged as a significant challenger in the 2021 Assembly election, securing nearly 28 per cent of the vote.
Diamond Harbour: The constituency remains in the political spotlight as it is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The seat carries strategic importance for the ruling party, and voting here will take place in the second phase of the election.
Tamluk: A politically sensitive constituency in East Midnapore district, Tamluk has long been influenced by the Adhikari family, making it a closely watched battleground. Polling here will take place in the first phase.
Asansol Dakshin: Located in the industrial belt of West Bengal, Asansol Dakshin has seen intense contests between the BJP and the TMC in recent elections. The seat will go to the polls in the first phase.
Kharagpur Sadar: Once considered a BJP stronghold and represented by Dilip Ghosh, the seat saw the TMC win in 2019 before the BJP’s Hiran Chatterjee regained it in the 2021 Assembly election. Kharagpur Sadar will also vote in the first phase in 2026.
With PTI Inputs
