NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress published a list of 291 candidates for the 294-member West Bengal assembly on Friday, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that she will run in the upcoming Nandigram elections.
These are the key points of the TMC announcement:
Nandigram battlefield
West Bengal is likely to witness an actual fight between BJP’s Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram with the TMC supreme accepting the challenge extended by her former assistant.
“I will go to Nandigram on March 9. On March 10, I will present the nomination in Haldia,” Mamata told reporters while posting the list of candidates.
Adhikari, who is Nandigram’s sitting MLA, had gone over to the BJP before the elections, leading a series of defections from the TMC.
Mamata said that Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay will compete from his own home in Bhowanipore.
50 women, 42 Muslim candidates
The head of TMC said that of the list of 291 candidates, 50 are women, 79 SC, 17 ST and 42 Muslim.
“In three seats in North Bengal, we are not running our candidates. In three seats, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will participate in the elections and whoever wins will support us,” he told reporters.
She said that existing 23-24 TMC MLAs have been phased out due to age and other reasons.
“After we come to power we will create Vidhan Parishad to accommodate senior and experienced leaders. We were unable to accommodate everyone, especially those over 80,” he said.
‘Have faith in me’
During the publication of her list, Mamata urged followers to have faith in her and claimed that only TMC can take West Bengal to new heights.
The prime minister also openly challenged the BJP, which is seen as TMC’s main opponent this year, saying it is not afraid of the challenge.
“Amit Shah and Narendra Modi can send as much force as they want, yet TMC will win the election,” he said.
Star-studded affair
The Trinamool chief included a large number of representatives from the Bengali film and television industry in the party’s list of candidates for the upcoming elections.
Mamata introduced actor Kanchan Mallick, who had joined the Trinamool Congress a few days ago, from Uttarpara de Hooghly; Soham Chakraborty of Chandipur; Barrackpore Director Raj Chakraborty; the actress Sayantika de Bankura; actress June Malliah of Midnapore sadar; actress Sayani Ghosh from South Asansol; Shibpur cricketer Manoj Tiwari from Howrah and Kaushani Mukherjee from Krishnanagar North Assembly constituency.
Opposition unit
Despite being a three-pronged contest, the TMC Supreme said that several opposition parties have joined her party to give the BJP a strong fight.
Mamata said that after RJD, SP and Shiv Sena, the TMC also received the support of JMM.
“I thank Tejashwi Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren and Shiv Sena for supporting me,” Banerjee said.
West Bengal will go to the polls in eight phases from March 27 to April 29. The results will be announced on May 2.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS)
These are the key points of the TMC announcement:
Nandigram battlefield
West Bengal is likely to witness an actual fight between BJP’s Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram with the TMC supreme accepting the challenge extended by her former assistant.
“I will go to Nandigram on March 9. On March 10, I will present the nomination in Haldia,” Mamata told reporters while posting the list of candidates.
Adhikari, who is Nandigram’s sitting MLA, had gone over to the BJP before the elections, leading a series of defections from the TMC.
Mamata said that Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay will compete from his own home in Bhowanipore.
50 women, 42 Muslim candidates
The head of TMC said that of the list of 291 candidates, 50 are women, 79 SC, 17 ST and 42 Muslim.
“In three seats in North Bengal, we are not running our candidates. In three seats, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will participate in the elections and whoever wins will support us,” he told reporters.
She said that existing 23-24 TMC MLAs have been phased out due to age and other reasons.
“After we come to power we will create Vidhan Parishad to accommodate senior and experienced leaders. We were unable to accommodate everyone, especially those over 80,” he said.
‘Have faith in me’
During the publication of her list, Mamata urged followers to have faith in her and claimed that only TMC can take West Bengal to new heights.
The prime minister also openly challenged the BJP, which is seen as TMC’s main opponent this year, saying it is not afraid of the challenge.
“Amit Shah and Narendra Modi can send as much force as they want, yet TMC will win the election,” he said.
Star-studded affair
The Trinamool chief included a large number of representatives from the Bengali film and television industry in the party’s list of candidates for the upcoming elections.
Mamata introduced actor Kanchan Mallick, who had joined the Trinamool Congress a few days ago, from Uttarpara de Hooghly; Soham Chakraborty of Chandipur; Barrackpore Director Raj Chakraborty; the actress Sayantika de Bankura; actress June Malliah of Midnapore sadar; actress Sayani Ghosh from South Asansol; Shibpur cricketer Manoj Tiwari from Howrah and Kaushani Mukherjee from Krishnanagar North Assembly constituency.
Opposition unit
Despite being a three-pronged contest, the TMC Supreme said that several opposition parties have joined her party to give the BJP a strong fight.
Mamata said that after RJD, SP and Shiv Sena, the TMC also received the support of JMM.
“I thank Tejashwi Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren and Shiv Sena for supporting me,” Banerjee said.
West Bengal will go to the polls in eight phases from March 27 to April 29. The results will be announced on May 2.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS)
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