The Indian National Congress has revised its list of candidates for the second phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, announcing changes to nominees on seven seats and introducing a total of eight candidates in the updated list issued on Wednesday.
According to the revised list released by Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, the party has replaced previously घोषित candidates on seven constituencies, while Pranab Bhattacharya has been named as the new candidate from the Howrah seat.
The party stated through its official social media platform that the Central Election Committee approved the changes for the second phase of the elections, citing considerations related to candidate positioning, local public sentiment, and electoral preparedness.
The revised list of candidates includes Tahir SK replacing Golam Kibria Mandal in Nakashipara, Asif Khan replacing Rahidul Mandal in Chapra, Pranab Bhattacharya in Howrah, Asif Khan replacing Barnali Naskar in Minakhan (SC), Chand Sardar replacing Kaushik Baidya in Mandirbazar (SC), Pampa Mallick replacing Anik Saha in Raina (SC), SK Abu Bakkar replacing Mofirul Kasim in Ketugram, and Tapas Baral replacing Nisha Baral in Ausgram (SC).
Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly will be conducted in two phases. Voting for 152 seats will take place on April 23, while polling for the remaining 142 seats will be held on April 29. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
Security arrangements for the elections include the deployment of approximately 2,400 paramilitary companies, comprising around 240,000 personnel. The deployment also includes about 20,000 women personnel, equivalent to nearly 200 companies. Authorities have stated that heightened vigilance is being maintained to ensure the security of polling stations and the conduct of peaceful and orderly elections.
