West Bengal Assembly elections 2026: Ruling TMC, Opposition BJP and Left Front field a good number of advocates, Cong yet to announce list
One of the most prominent legal faces from the BJP is Priyanka Tibrewal, who had contested against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur bye-elections in 2021.
As West Bengal gears up for the Assembly elections in April, a unique trend has been noticed: many practising lawyers are swapping courtroom arguments with political campaigns.
Several lawyers have been fielded by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Left Front.
Among the three major players, the BJP leads with 11 advocates, the Left Front has fielded seven advocates, while five advocates are in the fray from the TMC.
The Left Front’s most prominent legal face is senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who is contesting from Jadavpur. A heavyweight in both the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court, Bhattacharya is no stranger to electoral politics.
The alliance has also fielded younger advocates – Soumyajit Raha from Bidhannagar, Sayan Banerjee from Maheshtala, Imteaz Ahmed from Howrah (Madhya), Monirul Islam from Metiaburuz, Srijeeb Biswas from Bhabanipur, and Chandranath Banerjee from Champdani.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sayan Banerjee said, “I had contested the Lok Sabha 2024 elections from Tamluk. This is the first time I am contesting the assembly elections. It is a step towards getting good legislators. I will address the problems of the youth. It is always an honour to be a candidate of a national party.”
In Uttarpara, the TMC has fielded Sirsanya Bandopadhyay, a senior advocate at the Calcutta High Court and a senior standing counsel for the West Bengal government. He comes from a family with a political lineage – his father, Kalyan Banerjee, is a four-time Lok Sabha MP and also a senior advocate at the Calcutta High Court. The party has also fielded advocate and former Rajya Sabha MP Subhasish Chakraborty from Behala East, lawyers Avijit Bhowmick from Coochbehar Dakshin, Prasenjit Das from Gazole, Ashok Deb from Budge Budge, and Arup Roy from Howrah (Madhya).
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The BJP has fielded 11 advocates till now. One of its most prominent legal faces is Priyanka Tibrewal, who had contested against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur bye-elections in 2021. The other prominent BJP candidates from the legal fraternity are Tarun Jyoti Tiwari and Kaustav Bagchi.
Tibrewal is contesting from Entally in Kolkata, Bagchi from Barrackpur, and Tarun Jyoti Tiwari from Rajarhat Gopalpur. Besides these three, Arijit Bakshi has been nominated from Dumdum, Partho Ghosh from Raniganj, Biraj Biswas from Karandighi, Bidyut Kumar Roy from Balurghat, Narayan Chandra Mondal from Basirhat Uttar, Billeswar Sinha from Barjora, Jitendra Tiwari from Pandabeswar, and Dilip Kumar Ghosh from Bolpur.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Tibrewal said, “From the courtroom to the polls, I am a fighter. I fight for justice. I started the fight from the Calcutta High Court for post-poll violence victims to safeguard the people of Entally. Now I am again on the ground to protect the rights of the people.”
Besides practising lawyers, a few veteran TMC leaders who are contesting this time, too, have degrees in law, such as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting from Bhabanipur, Chandrima Bhattacharya from Dum Dum Uttar, Moloy Ghatak from Asansol Uttar, and Biman Banerjee from Baruipur Paschim.
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It is to be noted that the Congress is yet to release its candidates’ list for Bengal, and the number of practising lawyers contesting in the elections might just go up when it announces its nominees.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
