TMC Announces Candidates For All 42 Lok Sabha Seats In West Bengal

Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress on Sunday released its list of candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, sidelining the Congress party’s hopes for seat-sharing talks. The announcement underscores Banerjee’s belief that only her party can effectively challenge the BJP in Bengal.

Under the leadership of Chairperson Smt. @MamataOfficial , we're pleased to announce the names of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
We are steadfast in our commitment to stand by the common people against the deprivation of the Central Govt.
When it comes to… pic.twitter.com/pS69DiHqxh

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 10, 2024

This decision follows the breakdown of negotiations with Congress over seat allocations, further exacerbating tensions within the INDIA bloc, an alliance aimed at countering the BJP.

Responding swiftly, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed disappointment, emphasizing the party’s eagerness for a fair seat-sharing agreement through dialogue. He reiterated the Congress’s commitment to the INDIA alliance’s unified front against the BJP.

The Indian National Congress has repeatedly declared its desire to have a respectable seat-sharing agreement with the TMC in West Bengal. The Indian National Congress has always maintained that such an agreement has to be finalised through negotiations and not by unilateral…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 10, 2024

Trinamool’s candidate list features notable changes, including dropping eight sitting MPs and introducing fresh faces like former cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad. Pathan’s candidacy in Baharampur, a stronghold of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, signals a strategic move by Trinamool to counter Chowdhury’s criticisms.

The nomination of Haji Nurul Islam in Basirhat, replacing sitting MP Nusrat Jahan, and the renomination of Mahua Moitra in Krishnanagar further underscore Trinamool’s tactical adjustments.

Despite prolonged negotiations, Trinamool consistently walked away from the table whenever Congress demanded more than three seats in Bengal. This impasse led to Banerjee’s absence from the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, depriving the INDIA bloc of crucial optics to counter BJP’s political attacks on opposition disunity.