Congress Changes Strategy Before Bengal Elections, New Faces in 7 Seats

Political activity surrounding the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections has intensified. Amidst this, the Congress party has made significant changes to its list of candidates for the second phase of the elections. On Wednesday, the party released a new list in which candidates previously announced for several seats have been replaced.

This new list was released by senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal. The list comprises the names of a total of eight candidates. Of these, seven candidates have been fielded to replace those who were announced earlier. The Congress stated that this decision was taken by the party’s Central Election Committee. The party shared this information through its social media platforms. Regarding specific changes, Ghulam Kibria Mondal was initially named as the candidate for the Nakashipara seat; however, Tahir SK has now been given the opportunity to contest in his place. Similarly, Asif Khan has received the ticket for the Chapra seat, replacing Rahidul Mondal. The Congress has also fielded a new face for the Howrah seat, where Pranab Bhattacharya has been declared as the candidate. Meanwhile, Barnali Naskar was initially given the ticket for the Minakhan (SC) seat, but a new candidate has now been fielded to replace her as well. This decision by the Congress is being viewed as part of its electoral strategy. The party’s objective is now to further consolidate its position by fielding strong candidates in every constituency. These changes, made just prior to the elections, demonstrate that the Congress is unwilling to take any risks and remains fully focused on ensuring a stellar performance at all costs. It will be interesting to observe in the coming days what impact these changes have on the election results.