All the major political parties in West Bengal are likely to announce candidates for the Assembly polls on Friday. The ruling Trinamool Congress may announce candidates for all the 294 Assembly seats, while the Left-Congress alliance could announce nominees for the first two phases,when 60 seats go to the polls. The BJP is also likely to announce candidates for the first two phases.
Left-Congress-ISF alliance sealed
After days of discussions the Left parties and the Congress on Thursday came to an agreement on seat-sharing with Furfura peer Abbas Siddique’s Indian Secular Front (ISF).
Sources privy to the discussion said the Left Parties, comprising the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party, All India Forward Bloc among others may contest in 165 seats, the Congress in 92 and the ISF may get about 37 seats. Leaders of all the parties confirmed the arrangement and said the announcement would be made on Friday.
Nandigram fight
The Nandigram Assembly in Purba Medinipur seat is likely to witness the biggest political contest. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest here, the region that witnessed a violent contest against forcible land acquisition during the regime of the Left Front in 2007-08.
Sources in the party said Ms. Banerjee may contest only from Nandigram and not from Bhawanipur. She had announced her willingness to contest from Nandigram in January.
Suvendu Adhikari, who was elected from the seat on TMC ticket in 2016 and joined the BJP in December 2020, on Thursday expressed his willingness to contest from the seat at a meeting of party office-bearers in Delhi.
Shiv Sena to support TMC
After the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Shiv Sena on Thursday pledged its support to Ms. Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress. Its leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut hailed Ms. Banerjee as the “real Bengal tigress”.
“A lot of people are curious to know whether Shiv Sena is contesting West Bengal polls or not. So, here’s the update after discussions with Party President Uddhav ji Thackeray. Looking at the present scenario, it appears like a ‘Didi vs All’ fight. All ‘M’s – money, muscle and media – are being used against ‘M’amata Didi. Hence, Shiv Sena has decided not to contest West Bengal polls and stand in solidarity with her. We wish Mamata Didi a ‘roaring’ success, ’cos we believe she is the real Bengal Tigress,” Mr. Raut said on social media.
