97 Dalits, 47 Muslims, 45 women; Mamata’s candidates in Bengal polls

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Monday released its candidate list for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee highlighting an inclusive approach aimed at representing diverse social groups.

Out of 291 seats the party is contesting, 95 candidates belong to Dalit and tribal communities, while 47 are from the Muslim community. The list also includes 45 women candidates, reflecting the party’s emphasis on broad-based representation. The remaining three seats in the Darjeeling region have been allotted to ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantra Morcha, led by Anit Thapa.

The announcement was made in Kolkata by party's National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and state president Subrata Bakshi. Mamata Banerjee will contest from her Bhabanipur constituency, a seat she currently represents.

The constituency is expected to witness a high-profile contest, with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari earlier named as the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate. Adhikari had defeated Banerjee in the closely fought Nandigram seat during the 2021 elections.

The Trinamool has retained several sitting legislators, fielding them again in 135 constituencies. Banerjee expressed confidence of returning to power with more than 226 seats in the 294-member Assembly. She also assured party workers that those denied tickets would be accommodated within the organisation.

Elections to the Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29. Meanwhile, both the BJP and the Left Front have already announced their first list of candidates, setting the stage for a competitive electoral contest in the state.