West Bengal Election 2026: High Stakes Battle, Dates, Seats, And What's At Stake

• West Bengal to elect 294-member Assembly in two phases: April 23 and April 29, 2026; counting on May 4.
• TMC faces Mamata Banerjee's biggest political test, campaigning on 'Fighter Didi' theme and Bengali identity.
• BJP emerges as principal challenger, aiming for its best shot at forming a government with caste, religious, and booth-level strategies.
• Congress contests alone, seeking to rebuild its base in key regions despite organizational hurdles.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, with 64 lakh deletions, sparks controversy and becomes a major X-factor.