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West Bengal 2026 assembly elections: List of key BJP leaders in battlefield
The Bharatiya Janata Party gears up for the West Bengal assembly elections. Key leaders such as Suvendu Adhikari, Dilip Ghosh, Shankar Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, and Rekha Patra are set to lead the campaign. The party aims to build on its expanded footprint against the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Kolkata, As the BJP prepares for the West Bengal assembly elections in its bid to challenge the ruling TMC, several leaders, such as , are expected to play key roles in shaping its high-stakes campaign.
From securing just about 4 per cent vote share in the 2011 assembly elections to emerging as the principal opposition with over 38 per cent vote share in 2021, the BJP has significantly expanded its political footprint in West Bengal. The party at present has 12 Lok Sabha MPs and more than 65 MLAs in the state.Some of the prominent faces of the party who are likely to fight the elections are as follows,
Suvendu Adhikari: Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari remains one of the BJP's most prominent leaders in the state and is expected to play a central role in the upcoming elections.
A former TMC leader who joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 polls, Adhikari gained national attention after defeating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram, one of the most closely watched contests of that election.
Hailing from the politically influential Adhikari family of Purba Medinipur, he commands a formidable organisational network across the coastal districts and the 'Jungle Mahal' belt.Adhikari, known for his assertive campaign style, has been at the forefront of the BJP's efforts to expand its footprint in south Bengal.
Within the BJP, he is widely regarded as one of the trusted lieutenants of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the party's principal strategist, when it comes to Bengal politics.
As the state heads into another fiercely fought election, Adhikari is expected to spearhead the BJP's campaign, training his guns on issues such as corruption, governance failures and law-and-order concerns.
For the BJP cadre, his political weight, grassroots networks and combative rhetoric make him the party's principal field commander.
Dilip Ghosh: Former state BJP president is regarded as one of the leaders who played a major role in expanding the party's organisational base in West Bengal.
A former RSS pracharak, Ghosh led the BJP's growth phase in the state between 2015 and 2021, which culminated in the party winning 18 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. He was elected MP from Medinipur in that election.
His political trajectory, however, saw challenges after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when he lost after being shifted from Medinipur to Bardhaman-Durgapur. He had also publicly expressed differences over organisational decisions under then-president Sukanta Majumdar, highlighting internal issues within the state unit.
The strains became more visible when Ghosh attended the inauguration of the Jagannath temple in Digha, with his newly-wedded wife, at the invitation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The episode drew criticism from sections of the party's leadership.
After Samik Bhattacharya was appointed state BJP president in 2025, leaders such as Ghosh, who had been on the sidelines over the last few years, started gaining prominence once again.
BJP leaders continue to view his organisational experience and grassroots connect as important as the party prepares to take on the assembly elections.
Shankar Ghosh: Siliguri MLA is considered one of the BJP's key faces in north Bengal. He served as the party's chief whip in the Assembly and is known for his oratory skills, legislative interventions and organisational coordination.
A former CPI(M) leader, he joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 assembly elections and defeated TMC candidate Om Prakash Mishra from the Siliguri constituency by a margin of over 35,000 votes.
A doctorate in microbiology, Ghosh has been active on issues related to development and governance, particularly in north Bengal.
Agnimitra Paul: BJP leader , the MLA from Asansol Dakshin, is among the prominent women leaders of the party in the state.
A fashion designer before entering politics, she joined the BJP in 2019 and went on to hold several organisational posts, including president of the state Mahila Morcha and general secretary. She currently serves as a vice president of the state unit.
Paul defeated TMC candidate Saayoni Ghosh in the 2021 assembly elections but faced defeats in the 2022 Asansol Lok Sabha bypoll and the 2024 general elections from Medinipur.
She has been active in raising issues related to alleged corruption, political violence and governance both inside and outside the assembly.
Rekha Patra: emerged as a known face of the BJP during the Sandeshkhali protests, which the party sought to highlight as an issue of alleged atrocities against women and local governance failures.
A housewife, Patra rose to prominence during the protests against TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, with the BJP projecting her as a victim who turned into a voice of resistance against what it described as local-level misgovernance.
The BJP fielded Patra as its candidate from the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency in 2024. The party mounted an aggressive campaign around the issue, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing her as 'Shakti Swaroopa', or the embodiment of feminine strength.
She lost to the Trinamool Congress candidate by a significant margin. Despite the defeat, she continues to feature in the BJP'S political messaging around the Sandeshkhali issue as the party prepares for the assembly elections.
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Source: EconomicTimes
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