The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front on March 23 announced the candidates for four more Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. The most significant name on the list announced during the day was Md Salim, secretary of CPI(M) West Bengal unit, who will be contesting from the Murshidabad Lok Sabha seat.
The other names on the list included Alokesh Das for the Ranaghat Lok Sabha seat, Sukriti Ghosal for the Bardhaman-Durgapur seat and Shyamali Pradhan for the Bolpur constituency. All the four candidates represent the CPI(M).
The Left Front had earlier announced the names of candidates for 16 seats; of them, 13 were from the CPI(M) and one each from Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc.
Indicating an electoral understanding with the Left parties, the Congress has announced candidates for the seven seats where the Left Front was not contesting.
While Mr. Salim would be contesting from Murshidabad, State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was in the poll fray from the neighbouring Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency. Both constituencies located in the Murshidabad district have majority of voters from the minority community.
Mr. Salim had earlier represented Raiganj and Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha constituency. In 2019, the CPI(M) leader contested from Raiganj but was defeated by BJP’s Debashree Chaudhuri. The Trinamool Congress had emerged second in the electoral contest. The CPI(M) leader also contested the 2021 Assembly polls from the Chanditala seat in Hooghly district and lost to Trinamool Congress nominee.
