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BJP’s second Bengal list features Roopa Ganguly and Sandeshkhali victim among prominent candidates.
Bengal Polls
BJP's Roopa Ganguly and Rekha Patra will contest from Sonarpur Dakshin and Sandeshkhali ACs, respectively. Photo: Facebook/Roopa Ganguly/Rekha Patra

BJP unveils second Bengal poll list, fields Roopa Ganguly, Sandeshkhali victim among key faces

| @indiablooms | Mar 19, 2026, at 06:59 pm

Kolkata/IBNS: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced its second list of candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, naming 111 candidates across constituencies.

Among the prominent names, actor-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly has been fielded from Sonarpur Dakshin, while Rekha Patra, a victim linked to the Sandeshkhali controversy, will contest from Hingalganj.

The list reflects the party’s continued effort to balance political heavyweights with local faces ahead of a high-stakes electoral contest.

Key candidates across constituencies

The BJP has nominated several candidates across districts in its latest list.

Sabita Barman will contest from Itahar, while Dilip Saha has been named for Nabagram.

Mitali Mal will represent the party from Khargram, and Gargi Das Ghosh has been fielded from Kandi.

In other constituencies, Anamika Ghosh will contest from Bharatpur, Swapan Majumder from Bongaon Dakshin, and Arup Choudhary from Kamarhati.

Sanat Sardar has been nominated from Sandeshkhali, while Mallika Paik will contest from Mandirbazar.

The party has also named Priyanka Tibrewal as its candidate from Entally and Sumana Sarkar from Balagarh.

Focus on Sandeshkhali and symbolic candidates

The decision to field a Sandeshkhali survivor is politically significant, given the controversy surrounding the region in recent months.

By nominating Rekha Patra, the BJP appears to be amplifying its narrative around local grievances and law-and-order concerns.

Similarly, the inclusion of Roopa Ganguly adds star power and recognisable appeal to the party’s campaign in urban and semi-urban constituencies.

Bengal set for two-phase polling

The West Bengal Assembly elections will take place in two phases, scheduled for April 23 and April 29.

The multi-phase polling reflects the scale and complexity of conducting elections in one of India’s most politically charged states.

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