Political issues
The campaign was shaped by disputes over electoral rolls and citizenship, border security and undocumented migration, and broader debates over identity, governance, women's safety, employment, development, and anti-incumbency after 15 years of AITC rule. [7] [8] [9]
SIR and electoral rolls
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls became one of the central controversies of the campaign. The SIR removed around 9 million voters from the rolls in West Bengal, representing about 12% of the electorate. Over six million were categorized as absentee or deceased, while the status of 2.7 million remained pending before tribunals. Observers noted that roughly 65% of the undecided group were Muslims, while Dalit Hindus, especially from the Matua community, were also affected in certain districts. [10]
The deletion of names from the rolls and the subsequent adjudication process became major political issues during the election period. [11] [12] The AITC said that the exercise risked disenfranchising genuine voters, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended it as a revision of bogus entries and illegal migrants. The issue remains under judicial scrutiny during the campaign. [12] [13]
Citizenship Amendment Act
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) remained a separate campaign issue, particularly in areas where refugee and Matua politics were significant. The Union government published details of the act's implementation in the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, in March 2024, and BJP leaders said that a BJP government in West Bengal would speed up citizenship processing under the Act. [14] [15] [16] The AITC argued that the issue was being used to polarise the electorate and that the overlap between CAA, SIR and citizenship rhetoric had increased anxiety among minorities and some migrant communities. [17] [18]
Border security and migration
Border security and undocumented migration were also major issues in the campaign. BJP leaders framed cross-border movement, border fencing and the Siliguri Corridor as matters of national security and linked them to their wider argument on infiltration. [19] [20] The AITC rejected these claims as politically motivated and linked them to communal polarisation. [8] [21]
Identity politics
Identity politics remained significant in the campaign. Bengali asmita (identity), the Matua vote, and questions of language, belonging and representation were prominent themes in several regions of the state. [9] [8] The AITC sought to present itself as the defender of Bengali identity and state autonomy, while the BJP tied identity questions to citizenship, migration and Hindu consolidation in selected constituencies. [9] [22]
Corruption
Corruption and governance remained important opposition themes, especially because of the school recruitment scam and other ongoing investigations by central agencies. These allegations formed a major opposition line of attack on the AITC government's record in administration, public recruitment and institutional credibility. [23] [24] [25] The AITC, by contrast, emphasised welfare delivery, continuity and its development record. [26] [7]
Women's safety
Women's safety was a recurring issue in the campaign, especially after the 2024 R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case, which drew national attention and remained part of the wider law and order debate. [27] [28] [8] The AITC cited NCRB data showing Kolkata's comparatively low reported crime rate among large cities, while the BJP argued that such data did not capture under-reporting or failures to register cases. [29] [30]
Economy and employment
Employment, industrial development and public recruitment were also prominent issues, particularly among younger and urban voters. Concerns about job creation, delayed recruitment examinations, the effects of the recruitment scandal, and competing claims over investment and industrial growth featured prominently in the campaign. [31] [32] [33] The BJP foregrounded jobs and industrial revival in its criticism of the state government, while the AITC campaigned on welfare schemes and promised continued investment and infrastructure expansion. [26] [34]
Anti-incumbency
Anti-incumbency after 15 years of AITC rule was also noted as a factor in the contest, although it overlapped with disputes over SIR, identity and citizenship. [7] [9] [33] Dissatisfaction over jobs, corruption, governance and law and order was often discussed alongside these issues rather than separately. [8] [11]
Voter statistics
According to the Election Commission of India, 6,82,51,008 voters were eligible to vote in the assembly elections in West Bengal. This includes 3,49,35,123 male,3,33,14,628 female, and 1,257 third gender. [1]
As per the Election Commission of India, a total of 9,102,577 voters were removed since October 2025 shrinking total eligible voters by 11.88% to 67,534,952 compared to 76,637,529 in October 2025. [37] [38]
Candidates
BJP released the first list of 144 candidates on 16 March 2026; [43] the second list of 111 candidates (also included replacement of a candidate and support to an independent candidate) on 19 March 2026. [44] [64] The third list of BJP candidates was released on 25 March 2026 wherein 19 candidates were named. [65] BJP released the fourth list of candidates on 31 March 2026 announcing 13 candidates and another 1 previously announced candidate was replaced. [b] [66]
AITC+ released their first list of 3 candidates on 15 March 2026, including 3 candidates for BGP. [42] AITC released their list of 291 candidates on 17 March 2026. [40]
Left Front announced the first list of 192 candidates on 16 March 2026, including 142 seats for CPI(M), 21 seats for AIFB, 14 seats for CPI, 13 seats for RSP, and 1 seat each for RCPI and MFB; [49] [67] the second list of 32 candidates on 19 March 2026, including 28 seats for CPI(M), 3 seats for CPI and 1 seat for RSP; [68] the third list of 15 candidates including 13 seats for CPI(M) and 2 seats for AIFB and the fourth list containing 7 candidates for CPI(M). CPI(ML)L announced the names of their candidates on 10 seats on 17 March 2026. [69]
INC released first list of 284 candidates on 29 March 2026; INC released second list of 9 candidates on 1 April 2026. [70]
AJUP released the first list of 15 candidates on 18 March, [71] and second list of 3 candidates on 23 March. [72]
AIMIM released first list of 12 candidates on 3 April. [73]
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10.94%) [1] [2] 
