The BJP’s preparations for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections have run into immediate turbulence, with its first list of candidates setting off a wave of rebellion, resignations, and protests across the state.

The list, released from Delhi on Monday, named candidates for 144 constituencies and retained several sitting MLAs while introducing new faces in key seats. However, instead of consolidating the party’s position, the announcement appears to have exposed deep fault lines within the state unit.

Within hours of the list being made public, discontent began surfacing from multiple districts. Party workers and local leaders, upset over ticket distribution, openly protested against the leadership’s decisions.

In several places, the anger spilled onto the streets, with reports of vandalism at party offices and public demonstrations by disgruntled cadres.Watch a viral video below:

The most intense reaction emerged from the Mahishadal constituency in East Medinipur. The BJP’s decision to field Subhash Panja, a businessman with no prior electoral experience, did not go down well with sections of the local leadership.

Two prominent party functionaries, Biswanath Bandyopadhyay and Deepak Kumar Jana, announced their resignations soon after the candidate’s name was declared.

Bandyopadhyay, who had previously contested from the same seat in 2021, launched a sharp attack on the party’s functioning, alleging that it was being run like a “corporate entity” where grassroots workers had little value.

He said he no longer wished to be associated with such a structure and had formally severed ties with the organisation.

Jana, on the other hand, warned that the resignations were only the beginning, hinting at a larger exodus not just from Mahishadal but also from neighbouring areas like Nandigram and Haldia.

A similar picture unfolded in North Bengal’s Alipurduar, where the announcement of Paritosh Das as the party’s candidate sparked immediate backlash.

Angry party workers gathered outside the district office, staged protests, and reportedly vandalised the premises. Demonstrators also burned tyres as a mark of protest, forcing local leaders to intervene and restore order.

District BJP president Mithu Das rushed to the spot following the unrest and assured workers that their grievances would be addressed. However, the incident underscored the scale of dissatisfaction brewing within the ranks.

Tensions were also reported from Kumargram, where questions were raised over the choice of candidate Manoj Kumar Oraon. Local leaders expressed concern over his public image, with senior party member Kalpana Nag openly criticising the selection and alleging misconduct.

The developments point to a broader crisis within the Bengal BJP, where internal disagreements over ticket distribution have come out into the open at a crucial juncture.

With the Assembly elections approaching, the party now faces the dual challenge of managing internal dissent while mounting an effective campaign against its political rivals.

How the leadership responds to this growing unrest—and whether it can prevent further damage—could play a decisive role in shaping the BJP’s prospects in the high-stakes Bengal battle.