West Bengal Elections 2026: Actors, Singers Turn Netas As TMC-BJP Celebrity Face-Off Heats Up In Phase 2

The 2026 assembly elections of West Bengal have been witnessing the confluence of glamour and politics. People, ranging from actors, singers to sportspersons, have made their way into the field as major candidates in the highly competitive race for 294 seats. While South has dominated this trend, West Bengal seems not far away.

Both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have presented a star-studded list of contestants. These contenders not only bring fame to this political race but also cultural relevance with their prominent social media presence. Elections in West Bengal are being held in two phases – on April 23 and 29. The result of the high-voltage state assemble polls will be declared on May 4.

As West Bengal goes to polls in Phase 2, meet the celebrities candidates who are contesting in 2026:

Nayna Bandyopadhyay

Nayna Bandyopadhyay, who has been considered one of the most popular actresses of the Bengali film industry, is contesting from Chowringhee seat of Kolkata.

Arundhati Lovely Maitra

TV artiste Arundhati Maitra, popularly known as Lovely Maitra, is contesting from Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas under the TMC banner. Arundhati Maitra has been considered one of the most favorite actresses for various Bengali TV serials and movies like Jol Nupur and Mohor. Thus, she has turned out to be a very popular candidate due to her remarkable performances in various roles in different TV serials and movies.

Shreya Pandey

Television actress Shreya Pandey is contesting from Maniktala of Kolkata under the banner of the TMC. She hails from a political background as her both parents are important members of this political party. Moreover, her father Sadhan Pande has also been a state minister of West Bengal Government.

Roopa Ganguly

Another prominent name in this list is that of Roopa Ganguly, who gained recognition for her role as Draupadi in the TV serial Mahabharat. An experienced artist who has spent more than four decades serving the Indian film industry, the winner of the National Award has decided to contest the election from the constituency of Sonarpur Dakshin on behalf of the BJP.

Hiran Chatterjee

The other individual, Hiran Chatterjee, is an actor who recently ventured into the field of politics and has become a member of the BJP. He will be contesting the upcoming elections from the constituency of Shyampur, Howrah. The incumbent member of the assembly from Kharagpur Sadar, he relinquished the post in favor of Dilip Ghosh, the veteran politician from the BJP. He recently made headlines after tying the knot with actress Ritika Giri in Varanasi.

Sayantika Banerjee

Actor Sayantika Banerjee is contesting from Baranagar in North 24 Parganas under the TMC banner. She came into politics from the Trinamool Congress ahead of the 2021 state legislative assembly elections from Bankura, but she could not succeed in winning the elections. But now that she made a remarkable comeback in the 2024 byelections and won the election as the MLA of Baranagar, she is contesting to cement her position.

Rudranil Ghosh

The Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated actors like Rudranil Ghosh. The renowned actor in the Bengali film industry has been contesting elections from 2021. He will be contesting elections from Shibpur constituency, which falls in the district of Howrah.

Papiya De Adhikari

The seasoned actress Papiya De Adhikari is contesting from the Tollygunge constituency located in the southern part of Kolkata as a BJP contestant. She is an established performer in the domains of cinema, television, and Jatra stage.

Aditi Munshi and Indranil Sen

Some other celebrities in the form of musicians are also contesting in elections for the position of the member of parliament as contestants of the Trinamool Congress party. Aditi Munshi, a famous kirtan singer, is contesting from the Gopalpur, Rajarhat constituency, which is located near Salt Lake City. Another well-known singer Indranil Sen is contesting from Chandannagar as a Trinamool Congress contestant.

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