The ruling Trinamool Congress of West Bengal announced its candidate list for all 42 Lok Sabha seats on Sunday. The party has decided not to field some current MPs and has introduced fresh faces like former cricketer Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad.
The party has made an effort to represent all sections of society in this list, including women, Muslim candidates, and candidates from the SC/ST and OBC communities. It has shown confidence in 16 current MPs and has given a chance to 11 new contestants who will campaign for the first time under the party's banner. The list also includes 12 women, underlining the party's commitment to gender equality and inclusive politics.
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Scheduled Caste Candidates Emphasized
The list of 42 includes 10 Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, 3 Scheduled Tribe (ST), 2 Other Backward Class (OBC), and 12 women. Prominent SC candidates are named from constituencies like Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Ranaghat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Arambagh, Bishnupur, Bardhaman Purba, Bolpur, and Bongaon.
Featuring 6 Muslim Contestants
The party has given space to five Muslim candidates in its list, contesting from seats like Jangipur, Murshidabad, Uluberia, Malda South, Berhampore and Basirhat.
Representation from Scheduled Tribes
Trinamool has fielded ST candidates for three seats including Alipurduar, Darjeeling, and Jhargram.
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OBC Candidates in the Fray
The party has chosen two candidates from the OBC community to compete in the elections, representing the Kanthi and Purulia Lok Sabha constituencies.
11 Newcomers in the Ring
The party has decided to bring in 11 new faces to the electoral fight under the Trinamool Congress symbol. These candidates include Gopal Lama, Prasoon Banerjee, Shah Nawaz Ali Raihan, Yusuf Pathan, Rachna Banerjee, Mitali Bag, Debangshu Bhattacharya, Kalipada Soren, Sujata Mandal, Dr. Sharmila Sarkar, and Kirti Azad.
12 Tickets for Women Contenders
The list of 12 women candidates illustrates the party's dedication to empowering female leadership in politics.
Congress Responds
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reacted to TMC's list, hinting at the possibility of an alliance formation before the nomination withdrawal process. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also expressed a willingness to reach a respectful agreement with TMC for seat-sharing in West Bengal on multiple occasions.
