SunstarTV Bureau: Releasing the list of Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said she would be contesting the polls from Nandigram constituency and vacate her seat of Bhawanipore in Kolkata. With this announcement, it is likely that the BJP would pit former TMC leader and state minister Suvendu Adhikari against her in Nandigram.
Mamata Banerjee will contest the Bengal election from Nandigram and vacate her own seat of Bhowanipore in Kolkata as she takes on the challenge thrown by Suvendu Adhikari, her one-time right hand man who ditched her for the BJP in December.
“I will contest from Nandigram as I stick to my words. From Bhowanipore constituency, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay will be contesting in the upcoming Assembly elections,” said the Bengal Chief Minister, announcing candidates for the election starting March 27.
“This is a smiley election,” she quipped, apparently indicating that winning these polls would be a breeze.
This sets up the most important contest of this election at Nandigram, with the Chief Minister taking the fight straight to the BJP and, symbolically, all those who ditched her and switched to the BJP. Nandigram is the stronghold of Suvendu Adhikari, who had challenged his former mentor to face him in the constituency.
The Trinamool has fielded 50 women, 42 Muslim candidates, 79 scheduled caste candidates and 17 Scheduled Tribe candidates.
