Political parties in West Bengal (India's most populous eastern state) have unveiled competing welfare manifestos ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections, with cash transfers for unemployed youth emerging as a central battleground. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has pledged ₹1,500 per month for young people aged 21–40, while the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is offering ₹3,000 monthly to unemployed youth, and the Congress party has promised ₹2,000. The Communist-led Left Front has taken a different approach, focusing on job creation by promising one permanent government position per family and a commitment to fill all vacant public posts within five years.