West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released the list of Trinamool Congress candidates for the upcoming assembly polls for 291 seats on March 5, with emphasis on youths, minorities, women and backward communities. Celebrities, local leaders, IPS officers have been included, while leaders over 80 years of age have bene excluded.
Mamata Banerjee is going to contest from the high profile Nandigram seat where she is facing TMC turncoat and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and CPI(M) candidate Minakshi Mukherjee.
The list has come as a rude shock for many sitting MLAs, as the ruling party has decided to field 114 new faces in a bid to beat the decade-old anti-incumbency sentiment.
Reaching out to the politically crucial 49 per cent women voters and 30 per cent minority population, the TMC's list has 50 women and 42 members from the minority community.
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While Mitali Roy is going to contest from the Dhupguri Assembly constituency, Chandrima Bhattacharya is going to contest from Dum Dum (North). Popular TMC leader who can mobilise the ST community, Sarala Murmu will contest from the Habibpur constituency.
Sujata Mondal Khan, the wife of BJP leader Saumitra Khan, joined the TMC by going against her husband's wishes. She will contest the upcoming election from the Arambag constituency.
Veteran Bengali actress June Malia will contest from Medinipur, whereas popular actress Sayantika Banerjee will try her luck from Bankura.
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Another Bengali actress Sayani Ghosh, who has already garnered immense popularity because of her untiring campaign, is going to contest from Asansol (South). Singer Aditi Munshi has been given election ticket from the Rajarhat Gopalpur constituency and young Bengali actress Koushani Mukherjee will contest from Krishnanagar (North).
The West Bengal Assembly elections will begin on March 27 and end on April 29. The counting of the votes will take place on May 2.