India, April 19 -- The political spotlight ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections has firmly shifted to North Bengal, where both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are engaged in an intense battle for dominance across 54 crucial Assembly seats spread over eight districts. For the BJP, the region is not just another electoral zone-it is central to its ambition of forming a government in the state.

Encompassing districts such as Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda, North Bengal reflects a distinctive blend of geography, demographics, and political complexities. Stretching from the hill regions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong to t...