<p>West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) candidate list for the 291 Assembly constituencies in the State leaving three seats to TMC’s ally the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Making it clear that she would take on the turncoats head on, the TMC supremo declared that she would contest from the Nandigram Assembly constituency where the BJP is likely to field her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari.</p>.<p>Dispelling rumors that she may also contest from her current constituency Bhowanipore,the TMC supremo said “ I will contest only from Nandigram. When I say something I keep my word.” She was speaking to reporters at her residence in South Kolkata. Senior TMC leader and Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay will contest from Bhowanipore.</p>.<p>Her decision to contest from Nandigram assumes significance both in terms of the political background of the constituency and the current political scenario in Bengal particularly in terms of the rise of the BJP and the ongoing exodus from the TMC to the saffron party.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west-bengal-elections-live-mamata-banerjee-trinamool-congress-yogi-adityanath-anand-sharma-tejashwi-yadav-bjp-isf-elections-dates-958290.html" target="_blank"><strong>Track live updates of West Bengal elections here</strong></a></p>.<p>The land agitation at Nandigram in 2007 during the Left Front-era where at least 12 people died in police firing played a key role in catapulting Mamata to power in the 2011 Assembly elections. However, it was Suvendu Adhikari who acted as her main deputy during the Nandigram agitation. Her decision is likely to put her in an intense electoral fight against Adhikari, which is not only politically significant for the TMC and the BJP but also a prestige fight for former allies Mamata and Suvendu.</p>.<p>The TMC has fielded 50 women candidates, 42 candidates from the minority community, 79 from the SC and 17 from the ST community. About 20 to 25 incumbent MLAs have not been renominated.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/bengal-polls-tmc-demands-removal-of-deputy-election-commissioner-sudeep-jain-for-being-biased-958131.html" target="_blank">Bengal polls: TMC demands removal of Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain for being 'biased'</a></strong></p>.<p>However, several veteran leaders could not be fielded due to their age and illness as well the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>“After we win the elections we will create the Vidhan Parishad and accommodate these senior leaders. We were unable to accommodate everyone, especially those above the age of 80,” Mamata said.</p>
<p>West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) candidate list for the 291 Assembly constituencies in the State leaving three seats to TMC’s ally the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Making it clear that she would take on the turncoats head on, the TMC supremo declared that she would contest from the Nandigram Assembly constituency where the BJP is likely to field her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari.</p>.<p>Dispelling rumors that she may also contest from her current constituency Bhowanipore,the TMC supremo said “ I will contest only from Nandigram. When I say something I keep my word.” She was speaking to reporters at her residence in South Kolkata. Senior TMC leader and Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay will contest from Bhowanipore.</p>.<p>Her decision to contest from Nandigram assumes significance both in terms of the political background of the constituency and the current political scenario in Bengal particularly in terms of the rise of the BJP and the ongoing exodus from the TMC to the saffron party.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west-bengal-elections-live-mamata-banerjee-trinamool-congress-yogi-adityanath-anand-sharma-tejashwi-yadav-bjp-isf-elections-dates-958290.html" target="_blank"><strong>Track live updates of West Bengal elections here</strong></a></p>.<p>The land agitation at Nandigram in 2007 during the Left Front-era where at least 12 people died in police firing played a key role in catapulting Mamata to power in the 2011 Assembly elections. However, it was Suvendu Adhikari who acted as her main deputy during the Nandigram agitation. Her decision is likely to put her in an intense electoral fight against Adhikari, which is not only politically significant for the TMC and the BJP but also a prestige fight for former allies Mamata and Suvendu.</p>.<p>The TMC has fielded 50 women candidates, 42 candidates from the minority community, 79 from the SC and 17 from the ST community. About 20 to 25 incumbent MLAs have not been renominated.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/bengal-polls-tmc-demands-removal-of-deputy-election-commissioner-sudeep-jain-for-being-biased-958131.html" target="_blank">Bengal polls: TMC demands removal of Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain for being 'biased'</a></strong></p>.<p>However, several veteran leaders could not be fielded due to their age and illness as well the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>“After we win the elections we will create the Vidhan Parishad and accommodate these senior leaders. We were unable to accommodate everyone, especially those above the age of 80,” Mamata said.</p>
