Unemployment Tops Bengal’s Worry List; Law & Order And Corruption Follow
With unemployment, law & order, and corruption forming the top three voter priorities, parties will need to recalibrate their strategies to address these bread-and-butter issues head-on.
As West Bengal heads toward the 2026 Assembly elections, unemployment has emerged as the state’s most pressing concern. According to the latest Vote Vibe – State Vibe Round 1 survey conducted on Jan. 6, 2026, 33.8% of respondents identified joblessness as the biggest issue. This sentiment cuts across gender and age groups, with both men and women equally prioritising unemployment at 34% each.
Law and order, including women’s safety, ranks second at 19.1%, while corruption follows closely at 18.3%. Development trails at 10.2%, and price rise is cited by 6.3% of voters, indicating that immediate socio-economic challenges overshadow long-term growth narratives.
The age-wise breakdown reveals sharp contrasts: youth aged 18–24 are split between unemployment (29%) and law & order (29%), while middle-aged voters lean more heavily toward unemployment (35%) and corruption (18%). Among social groups, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Muslims place unemployment at the top (36% and 37%, respectively), whereas Scheduled Tribes (ST) show heightened concern for law & order (29%) alongside unemployment (33%).
These findings underscore a critical message for political parties: job creation and safety will dominate the electoral discourse, leaving less room for ideological battles or identity politics. With unemployment, law & order, and corruption forming the top three voter priorities, parties will need to recalibrate their strategies to address these bread-and-butter issues head-on.
ALSO READ
West Bengal SIR: Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen Issued Notice By Election Commission, Claims TMC
One of the most talked-about elections this year will be taking place in West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has been in power for the past 15 years.
Positioning herself as the protector of people's rights, Banerjee has been targeting the BJP-led Centre over issues like the amendments to the Waqf laws as well as the voter re-verification drive.
Banerjee has already announced her party will contest without any alliance in the upcoming polls, noting that Congress has no base in the state.
On the other hand, it’s going to be a crucial test for the BJP as the poll outcome in the state could set the political narrative and direction for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Assembly elections in the state are expected to be held in March-April for 294 seats.
