The Trinamool Congress (TMC), on March 10, announced its candidate list for all the 42 seats in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, dropping at least eight sitting MPs and bringing in several new faces such as former cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Kriti Azad.
The party renominated 16 sitting MPs and fielded 12 women.
This is the first time that the TMC has announced its candidate list from a mega public meeting at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.
Cricketer Yusuf Pathan, Kirti Azad among nominees
The party fielded cricketers Yusuf Pathan from Baharampur LS seat and Kirti Azad from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency. Senior Trinamool leaders Saugata Roy has been retained to contest from Dum Dum, Sudip Banerjee will contest from Kolkata Uttar and Abhishek Banerjee will contest from Diamond Harbour. It also renominated Mahua Moitra from Krishnanagar LS seat.
From the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, where Sandeshkhali is situated, TMC pitted its former MP Haji Nurul Islam by dropping sitting MP Nusrat Jahan.
TMC to contest in Assam, Meghalaya
The Trinamool Congress launched its poll campaign from the rally, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the party will contest Lok Sabha elections alone in all 42 seats in the State.
Ms. Banerjee said that the Trinamool Congress will also contest in Assam, Meghalaya and is also in talks with Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party (SP) for contesting in one LS seat in Uttar Pradesh.
‘Salute Arun Goel for not succumbing to BJP’s pressure’
A day after Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned from the post, Ms. Banerjee lauded him for “not succumbing” to the BJP’s pressure, and asserted that the saffron camp would be defeated in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
She added that the sudden resignation of Mr. Goel proves that the “BJP is attempting to loot votes in the Lok Sabha polls”.
“I salute Arun Goel for not succumbing to pressure by Delhi leaders [of BJP] and his top bosses in connection with the West Bengal LS polls and the deployment of forces. It is proven that what they [the BJP-led NDA government] want to do in the name of election. They want to loot votes,” she said.
Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year.
‘PM must cross-check facts’
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his allegations that central funds are being siphoned off in West Bengal, the TMC chief said, “The PM must cross-check facts with officials before making baseless allegations against Bengal.” “He is only inaugurating projects in Bengal but not releasing funds for the State. This is his guarantee. He has made all false promises,” she said.
Lakhs of supporters and numerous block-level leaders were seen in the morning flocking from different districts to hear their leader, affectionately called ‘Didi’. Christened ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’, the mega event features three platforms, including a cross ramp, with Ms. Banerjee and TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee taking centre stage as the main speakers.
(With inputs from PTI)