WB polls: Left Front releases 3rd list of 15 candidates, tally at 239

The Left Front in West Bengal released its third list of 15 candidates for the state assembly polls, bringing its total announced candidates to 239. The list includes 13 from CPI(M) and two from the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB).

The Left Front, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in West Bengal, on Monday released its third list of 15 candidates for the 2026 State Legislative Assembly elections. The third list includes 13 seats contested by CPI(M) and two by All India Forward Bloc (AIFB). The list includes CPI(M) leaders Tapan Ghosh, Zamiruddin Molla, Shyamal Roy and others. Arun Kumar Barma and Jhuma Das are two AIFB candidates in the list.

Candidate Tally and Key Names

On March 19, the Left Front released its second list of 32 candidates, while its first list included 192 names for the 294 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The third list has taken their total tally of candidates to 239. The previous lists included notable names of Pasang Sherpa, Basudeb Barman, and Anwarul Haque. The first list featured outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and CPI(M) central committee member Minakshi Mukherjee.

Election Schedule

The polling for the West Bengal Assembly election will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Counting of votes for both phases will be conducted on May 4.

The Broader Political Contest

The Left Front, which was once a dominating party in the state, is now contesting to revive itself in the electoral battle against the ruling Trinamool Congress. While the elections are mainly a contest between the TMC and the BJP, apart from the Left Front, Aam Janata Unnayan Party, launched by former TMC leader Humayun Kabir, is also in the fray after joining hands with Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

AJUP has also announced the names of candidates for various constituencies of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections.

TMC's National Ambitions

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during the internal meeting with the Trinamool Congress party workers on Sunday, said that after securing a victory in Bengal, the next step will be to head to Delhi, TMC sources said. (ANI)

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