West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: All India Trinamool Congress party led by Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, released the list of candidates it would be fielding for the upcoming polls. Former Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas, who quit from his post over the ‘Messi fiasco’ last year, is set to contest from Tollygunge constituency.
Aroop Biswas tendered his resignation on December 16, 2025 after Lionel Messi’s GOAT India tour in Kolkata turned chaotic. Biswas, who drew massive flak over the mismanagement at Salt Lake Stadium, said in the handwritten letter that he was resigning to ensure a “free and fair investigation” into the incident.
In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly Elections, TMC leader Aroop Biswas defeated BJP candidate Babul Supriyo from the Tollygunge seat.
When are Assembly polls due in Bengal?
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced West Bengal Assembly poll dates, stating that voting will take place in two phases on 23th April and 29th April. Counting of votes will be done on 4th May.
Aroop Biswas to seek mandate from Tollygunge
Aroop Biswas has consistently held the Tollygunge seat for the Trinamool Congress party – winning four straight elections since 2006.
In 2021, Biswas secured 1,01,440 votes, comfortably defeating BJP candidate Babul Supriyo. In 2016, he beat Madhuja Sen Roy of the CPI(M). Prior to that, he had also secured consecutive victories from the Tollygunge seat in 2011 as well as 2006.
Biswas's nomination from the Tollygunge seat comes months after he resigned from his post as the state sports minister over the Messi fiasco.
What went wrong during Messi's visit to Kolkata?
Lionel Messi’s much-anticipated Kolkata tour in December — for which fans had eagerly booked tickets well in advance — descended into chaos due to crowd mismanagement, unmet expectations and security lapses. As the event began, spectators broke through barricades, vandalism was reported, and police had to step in to restore order.
Disappointment grew when fans realised the football star was under tight security and barely visible from large parts of the stadium. Many said even the giant screens failed to provide a clear view, dampening the experience despite high ticket prices.
From ₹4000 to amounts going as high as ₹32,000 – the unrest was fuelled by frustration among fans who had paid whopping amounts to get a glimpse of Messi in the ‘Mecca of Indian Football,’ Kolkata.
The situation worsened when it became clear that Messi would not complete the full lap of the stadium as promised in the official programme. He turned back midway and was escorted out well before his scheduled appearance was to end.
