Mamata Banerjee is set to announce the Trinamool Congress candidate list from her residence in Kalighat

 

 

Reported by Sanchita chatterjee  kolkata: 

On Tuesday at 3:15 PM, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to announce the Trinamool Congress candidate list from her residence in Kalighat. Ahead of this announcement, intense anticipation regarding the probable list of candidates prevails not only within the "Joraful" (Twin Flowers) family but has also sparked considerable curiosity across the state's political landscape. The greatest interest centers on Trinamool's potential counter-move in Nandigram. The BJP has fielded Suvendu Adhikari against Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur; following this, would Trinamool be content with merely fielding a local leader against Suvendu in Nandigram—a strategy that hardly aligns with the temperament of Abhishek?

As this report is being written, Mamata Banerjee is just two hours away from beginning the announcement of the candidate list from her Kalighat residence. Consequently, there is little room for idle speculation. However, given the immense public interest surrounding the probable list, it is certainly worth offering a few insights.

Finalizing Trinamool's candidate list this time around was no easy task. The party has been in power continuously for 15 years. As a result, there is significant anti-incumbency sentiment—not only against the government as a whole but also, at the local level, against numerous sitting MLAs, ministers, and party leaders. This sentiment is notably stronger in urban areas and municipalities compared to rural regions. Accordingly, having conducted extensive surveys, Mamata, Abhishek, and iPAC's Symbion Jain sat down to finalize the list of candidates.

Take Hooghly district, for instance. This district comprises 18 Assembly constituencies. Trinamool is poised to replace its candidates in 50 percent or more of these seats this time around. Trinamool had already lost the seats of Pursurah, Khanakul, Arambagh, and Goghat in the previous election cycle. Beyond these four seats, there is a near-certainty of candidate changes in Chinsurah, Sreerampur, Chanditala, Uttarpara, and Balagarh. There is even considerable doubt as to whether Tapan Dasgupta will receive a re-nomination for the Saptagram constituency.

It is worth noting here that the renowned musical artist Iman Chakraborty was approached with an offer to contest the Uttarpara constituency. However, Iman remained in two minds about entering the electoral fray right up until the very last moment. Furthermore—and crucially—Iman was categorically unwilling to contest against her comrade, Minakshi Mukherjee, in Uttarpara. Nevertheless, reports suggest that Trinamool continued its efforts right up to the eleventh hour to persuade her to contest from a different constituency.  Speaking of Hooghly, one more point is worth mentioning. It is quite possible that Debangshu Bhattacharya could be fielded as a candidate for the Chinsurah Assembly constituency. Incidentally, the name of footballer Bidesh Bose had also been considered for that very seat; Bidesh currently serves as the MLA for Uluberia East.

Initially, the party had contemplated not fielding many of its veteran MLAs this time around, primarily due to their advanced age. However, in the end, it was observed that attempting to replace them often led to a surge in the number of aspirants—a situation that created more complications than it resolved. Consequently, figures like Nirmal Ghosh and Madan Mitra are set to receive party tickets. Jyotipriya Mallick—who stands accused in the 'ration scam' case—was initially reluctant to contest again from the Habra Assembly constituency. Nevertheless, barring any unforeseen developments, it is highly likely that Jyotipriya—alias 'Balu'—will indeed be fielded as the candidate from Habra.

Furthermore, while several sitting MLAs are expected to be renominated, their constituencies may undergo surprising reshuffles. For instance, actor Soham Chakraborty, who previously represented the Chandipur constituency in East Medinipur, is not being offered a ticket in Medinipur—nor, for that matter, in any of the neighboring districts. Instead, Soham is likely to be fielded as the candidate for the Karimpur Assembly constituency in the Nadia district.

Finally, there remain the names of several prominent leaders and party spokespersons—such as Kunal Ghosh, Ritabrata Banerjee, Arup Chakraborty, and Sudip Raha, among others. Unless there is a last-minute shift in strategy, Kunal Ghosh is likely to be fielded as a candidate in one of the North Kolkata constituencies. It would come as no surprise if that seat turns out to be Shyamapukur—the constituency currently held by Shashi Panja—given that Shashi Panja's name has not yet appeared in the final voter list and remains under adjudication.

In fact, within North Kolkata, with the exception of the seats held by Nayna Bandyopadhyay (Chowringhee) and Atin Ghosh (Kashipur-Belgachia), the remaining five constituencies may witness a swapping of seats among the incumbent MLAs. For the Jorasanko constituency, the chances of the sitting MLA, Vivek Gupta, securing a ticket are virtually nil. Similarly, Paresh Pal may not be renominated as the candidate for the Beleghata constituency. In the Entally constituency, Swarnakamal Saha currently serves as the MLA; however, his health has deteriorated significantly. Consequently, his son, Sandipan Saha, is likely to be fielded as the candidate in his stead.  Instead of renominating the incumbent MLA for Maniktala, Supti Pandey, her daughter, Shreya Pandey, may be fielded as the candidate. However, there is no certainty as to whether Shreya would be nominated specifically for the Maniktala constituency.

Reports suggest that cricket administrator Biswarup Dey is being considered as a candidate for a seat in North Kolkata. A source close to Kalighat claims that Biswarup's name was recommended by Sourav Ganguly.

No such discussion would be complete without a mention of 'Tollywood' (the Bengali film industry). However, if a new face from Tollygunge is to emerge as a candidate at all, it is likely to be none other than Param Chatterjee. The specific constituency for which he is to be nominated, however, has been kept strictly confidential.