Desk Correspondent , Kolkata – 55 female candidates were are legislated by the ruling party of West Bengal. In the polls scheduled for two phases on April 23 and 29 Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken the lead among major parties with this move. This is 22 candidates more than the opposing party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has selected 33 women candidates, while Congress has fielded 39 and Left parties 28. The ruling party under Mamata Banerjee has also outpaced others in nominating Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, underscoring its push for inclusive representation ahead of the high-stakes vote. The development comes as the Centre prepares to table bills in Parliament on Thursday for a 33% women’s reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, to take effect from the 2029 polls after delimitation expands seats from 543 to up to 850.

In the 2021 elections, TMC’s strategy paid off with 50 women candidates, of whom 33 won seats and eight became ministers in the current government, compared to BJP’s 38 nominees yielding just seven victories. This time, TMC has sharpened its focus on women voters who form a key support base by hiking monthly aid under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme to ₹1,500 for general category homemakers and ₹1,700 for SC/ST women in the February budget, plus a new ₹1,500 monthly stipend for the unemployed aged 21-40. TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh credited Banerjee’s welfare push despite central fund suspensions. Meanwhile BJP has countered with its manifesto promising ₹3,000 monthly assistance to women, free state bus rides, and special nutrition kits for pregnant women from marginalised families.

According to Election Commission data women’s representation in West Bengal politics has historically been low, with just around 11% of total candidates in 2021 being female. If the proposed reservation bill passes, 97 assembly seats in the state would be set aside for women. Both TMC and BJP are aggressively courting female voters this cycle, with TMC’s 2021 slogan “Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chai” still resonating through its schemes, while BJP eyes empowerment via central initiatives like the Lakhpati Didi programme and two all-women police battalions. The contest highlights growing recognition that women’s participation could decide the outcome in a state where they make up nearly half the electorate.