• Source:JND
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Bengal Assembly Elections: The ruling party, Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday released its first candidate list, fielding party supremo and the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, from the Bhabanipur constituency, which means the TMC chief will take on BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. In the poll battle Adhikari has a upper hand as he defeated Banerjee in Nandigram seat in the last assembly election.

Mamata's paraty, which has been in the power since 2011, said it would contest in 291 of the 294 seats in the state. Mamata and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee held a a press conference in Kolkata to announce the names of the candidates.

Three Seats Given To BGPM

The TMC left three seats for ally, Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) in the Darjeeling hills.

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"We will contest 291 of the 294 seats. The remaining three seats will be contested by our ally, Anit Thapa-led BGPM, in the Darjeeling hills," Banerjee said, while announcing the names of candidates, flanked by the party's national general secretary Abhishek and state president Subrata Bakshi.

Banerjee expressed confidence that the TMC would retain power with a comfortable majority in the 2026 assembly elections.

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"We will win more than 226 seats in the 2026 assembly polls," she asserted.

Mamata's Attempt To Pacify Dropped Leader's Disappointment

In an attempt to pacify the anger of those who failed to make it through in the list, Mamata sought to reassure party leaders and workers, saying they would be accommodated in the organisation.

"All those who could not be accommodated in the candidate list will be accommodated in the organisation," she said.

Targeting the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, Banerjee said the saffron party would see its numbers decline in the upcoming polls.

"The BJP's tally will decrease in this election. They will receive a befitting reply for their anti-people policies," she said.

The announcement of the candidates sets the stage for an intense electoral contest in West Bengal, where the TMC is seeking to return to power for a fourth consecutive term.

Ex-Suvendu Loyalist Rejoins TMC

Meanwhile, a former BJP panchayat chief, who was known to be close to senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday rejoined the ruling TMC. There is buzz that he might be pitted against the leader of the opposition in Nandigram seat in the upcoming assembly polls. Pabitra Kar, a former panchayat pradhan of Boyal-1 gram panchayat in Nandigram-2 block of Purba Medinipur district, rejoined the Trinamool Congress in the presence of the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

(With PTI Inputs)


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