Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee will seek re-election from Kolkata’s Bhabanipur constituency, thereby accepting BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s challenge to contest from the West Bengal chief minister’s backyard.
Releasing the full candidates’ list for next month’s crucial Assembly polls, Mamata said on Tuesday her party will contest 291 of the 294 seats in the state, while the remaining three in Darjeeling will be contested by Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM).
TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee provided details on the lineup of candidates, noting that among the 291 candidates (excluding Mamata’s seat), 52 are women, 95 belong to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 47 represent minority communities.
Attacking the BJP, Mamata said: “Why are you afraid? Don’t create a gas crisis if you want to fight… come to the ground in a proper way. ECI, you did a brilliant game… BJP has no chance. This time your seats will decrease as compared to the last time. This is the fight of Astitva of West Bengal. Bengal will win. ‘Dilli ka laddu’ will not win.”
In an interesting development, Pabitra Kar, former BJP panchayat pradhan of Boyal-1 gram panchayat in Nandigram-2 block and once close to TMC-turned-BJP leader Suvendu, rejoined Trinamool.
Speculation is rife that he may contest against Leader of Opposition Suvendu, who will also contest from his own constituency of Nandigram.
Polling for West Bengal’s 294 assembly seats will be held in two phases, on April 23 and 29, as Mamata and TMC eye a fourth consecutive term.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, TMC won 215 seats and BJP secured 77.
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