KOLKATA: Fielding 52 women candidates, the ruling All India Trinamool Congress on Tuesday announced its list for 291 of the 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal, signalling a mix of continuity and an aggressive reshuffle ahead of the two-phase polls on April 23 and 29. The remaining three seats in Darjeeling district have been left to ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, led by Anit Thapa.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from her traditional stronghold of Bhabanipur in south Kolkata, setting up a high-stakes contest against Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP. Adhikari will also contest from Nandigram, where he narrowly defeated Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly polls by around 2,000 votes.
The Bhabanipur seat, however, has emerged as a politically sensitive battleground this time following a major revision of electoral rolls. Nearly 48,000 voters, categorised as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate (ASDD), have been deleted after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), while another 14,000 voters remain under adjudication, pending judicial clearance.
Despite the churn, Banerjee struck an aggressive note while addressing a press conference. “BJP will be caught by the nose. Even the moon, sun, planets and stars will not forgive them. We will win more seats. ‘Boycott BJP’. My appeal is, ‘Vote for Trinamool’, ‘Vote for Bengal,’” she said.
The candidate list reflects a significant overhaul, with the party dropping around 70 sitting MLAs — roughly 33% of its legislators — in a bid to counter anti-incumbency. Among those denied tickets are several prominent names, including former cricketer Manoj Tiwari, Vivek Gupta, Sabitri Mitra, Ratna De Nag, Paresh Pal and Kanchan Mallick.
Party sources said the decision was driven by ground-level feedback. “There were concerns about anti-incumbency in several constituencies. Renominating the same candidates could have hurt prospects,” a senior leader said, requesting anonymity.
At the same time, the Trinamool has retained or reintroduced several key figures. Former minister Jyotipriya Mallick, who was jailed in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam and later granted bail, has been fielded from Habra in North 24 Parganas. Senior advocate and MP Kalyan Banerjee’s son, Prabhat Banerjee, will contest from Uttarpara.
In Nandigram, the party has fielded Pabitra Kar, while spokesperson Kunal Ghosh is set to make his electoral debut from Beleghata. Senior leaders Bratya Basu and Sujit Bose have been renominated from Dum Dum and Bidhannagar, respectively.
The Trinamool’s strategy also underscores its continued emphasis on social representation, with women accounting for a significant share of candidates.
The electoral battle in Bhabanipur is being closely watched, not only because of Banerjee’s candidature but also due to shifting voter dynamics. In the 2021 polls, she won the seat by over 58,000 votes, but recent trends — including the BJP leading in several municipal wards during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — suggest a more competitive contest.
Party insiders said Banerjee has already held multiple review meetings with booth-level workers and senior leaders to assess preparedness in the constituency, especially in light of the voter roll revisions.
