1. AITC prepares to reveal candidates for all 42 West Bengal Lok Sabha seats.
2. Independent contest follows unsuccessful alliance talks with the INDIA bloc, including Congress.
3. Announcement expected at a mega rally led by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee at Kolkata’s Brigade Ground.
Kolkata, March 10: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) unveil its list of candidates for all 42 constituencies in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections today. The decision to contest independently comes amidst failed alliance talks with the INDIA bloc, including the Congress.
Here’s the list of candidates:
- Kolkata North: Sudeep Bandopadhyay
- Kolkata South: Mala Rai
- Howrah: Prasoon Bandopadhyay
- Diamond Harbor: Abhishek Banerjee
- Dum Dum: Prof. Saugata Roy
- Shrirampur: Kalyan Banerjee
- Hooghly: Rachna Bandopadhyay
- Barrackpore: Parth Bhowmik
- Barasat: Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar
- Arambagh: Mitali Bagh
- Ghatal: Actor Dev
- Midnapore: June Malia
- Bankura: Arup Chakraborty
- Vardwan Ex: Dr. Sharmila Sarkar
- Asansol: Shatrughan Sinha
- Vardwan Durgapur: Kirti Azad
- Birbhum: Shatabdi Rai
- Tamluk: Devanshu Bhattacharya
- Basirhat: Haji Nurul Islam
- Mathurapur: Bapi Haldar
- Alipurduar: Prakash Chik Baraik
- Darjeeling: Gopal Lama
- Raiganj: Krishna Kumar Kalyani
- Balurghat: Biplab Mitra
- Maldah Answer: Prasun Banerjee (Former IPS)
- Maldah South: Shahnawaz Rehan
- Jangipur: Khalilur Rahman
- Berhampur: Yusuf Pathan (former cricketer)
- Murshidabad: Abu Taher Khan
- Krishnanagar: Mahua Moitra
- Ranaghat: Mukut Mani Adhikari
- Bangaon: Vishwajit Das
- Jalpaiguri: Nirmalchandra Rai
- Cooch Behar: Jagdish Chandra Basunia
- Bishnupur: Sujata Mandal Khan
Also Read: Understanding the Collapse of BJP-BJD Alliance Talks for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Odisha
Mahua Moitra, embroiled in a bribery scandal, is slated to contest from the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency, where she previously served.
Abhishek Banerjee announced the names at the Brigade Ground march. Former cricketer Yusuf Pathan will contest from Baharampur, possibly against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Notably, sitting MP actor Nusrat Jahan has been omitted from the list for the 2024 elections.
The candidates’ announcement is expected at the mega rally ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’ in Kolkata’s Brigade Ground, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC supremo.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, TMC won 22 seats, BJP secured 18, and Congress won two. However, the TMC failed to reach a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress as part of the INDIA bloc.
The list is anticipated to feature familiar names alongside new faces, as the party considers fielding young leaders. Additionally, two candidates from Assam and one each from Meghalaya and UP may also be announced.
The rally, anticipated to draw six to eight lakh supporters, coincides with several political leaders switching parties. The dates for the Lok Sabha polls are expected to be announced next week.
However, recent controversies, including the upheaval in Sandeshkhali, where violent protests erupted over land grab allegations against TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, have put the Mamata Banerjee-led party on the defensive.
