Mamata makes a pointed claim on how many seats TMC will win in West Bengal elections: 'More than 226'

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee will contest the 2026 West Bengal elections from Bhabanipur, fighting a direct battle against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.

Updated on: Mar 17, 2026, 17:53:09 IST

Edited by Asmita Ravi Shankar

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Trinamool Congress supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee has predicted that her party will secure more than 226 seats in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also hit out at the BJP, saying that the saffron party's numbers would decline in the upcoming elections. (ANI)

The ruling TMC announced its list of candidates for the upcoming polls, with Mamata Banerjee contesting from the Bhabanipur assembly constituency.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Banerjee said the TMC will contest 291 of the 294 seats in the state, predicting that her party will secure more than 226 seats.

ALSO READ | It's Mamata Banerjee vs BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur: Rematch on as TMC list out for West Bengal elections

"We will contest 291 of the 294 seats. The remaining three seats will be contested by our ally, Anit Thapa-led BGPM, in the Darjeeling hills," Banerjee said, while announcing the names of candidates.

Exuding confidence in her party's performance in the upcoming polls, she added, “We will win more than 226 seats in the 2026 assembly polls.”

The West Bengal chief minister also sought to reassure party leaders and workers who weren't fielded for the assembly elections, saying that space would be made for them within the organisation.

"All those who could not be accommodated in the candidate list will be accommodated in the organisation," she said.

Mamata Banerjee's candidature from Bhabanipur implies that it will be a direct contest between her and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.

ALSO READ | Election dates for Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry out | Check full schedule

During the presser, Banerjee also hit out at the BJP, saying that the saffron party's numbers would decline in the upcoming elections. "The BJP's tally will decrease in this election. They will receive a befitting reply for their anti-people policies," she said.

West Bengal is set to witness a high-stakes electoral battle for its 294-member legislative assembly in two phases. Elections for 152 seats will be held on April 23, 2026, while the remaining 142 seats will go to polls on April 29.2026.

The Election Commission of India said that the vote counting process is scheduled to take place on May 4, 2026.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Asmita Ravi Shankar
Asmita Ravi Shankar is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. She covers breaking news and focuses on crime, geopolitics, and the domestic political landscape. She has an eye for the intricacies in criminal investigations and a keen interest in how diplomacy and complexities affect politics, within India and globally. She has written extensively about Operation Sindoor, the Iran-US conflict, elections in India, Trump tariffs and diplomacy. Asmita also engages in multimedia storytelling, using interactive elements to enhance readers' news experience and build a high-traffic news ecosystem. With nearly three years of experience in the journalism industry, Asmita has been with HT for a little over a year. She has previously worked with online news teams at Outlook India and Network18, covering a wide range of beats and building her specialisation. In HT, she has been recognised for her comprehensive reportage and her contribution to coverage of the Bihar assembly election results, having single-handedly driven over 2 million users on that day. Asmita earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, the University of Delhi. She went on to earn a postgraduate diploma in integrated journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, sharpening her skills in multimedia storytelling, editing and sourcing to enrich her reportage. Additionally, Asmita holds a degree in Bharatanatyam from the Pracheen Kala Kendra. She is also a teacher of the Indian classical dance form. When not working on news, Asmita can be found dancing, binge-watching true crime docu-series, cooking and exploring various genres of music.Read More

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