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Congress to Unveil Bengal Poll Candidates in Phases, Heavyweights in First List

The Congress is planning to announce its candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections in three separate phases. The first list, expected shortly, will contain around 100 names, including prominent figures like former state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The party has decided to contest all 294 seats independently, ending its long-standing electoral alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front. This strategic shift and candidate selection are heavily influenced by recommendations from the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

Key Points: Congress Bengal Candidate Lists in Phases, Adhir Chowdhury Likely

  • First list of ~100 candidates soon
  • Includes Adhir Chowdhury & Mausam Noor
  • Congress contesting all 294 seats alone
  • No alliance with Left or Trinamool
  • Candidate selection based on state committee input
2 min read

Cong likely to announce names of Bengal Assembly poll candidates in three phases

Congress may announce West Bengal Assembly candidates in three phases. First list of 100 names includes Adhir Chowdhury, Mausam Noor. Party to contest solo.

"This time, the party high command is relying more on the suggestions of the WBPCC - WBPCC insider"

Kolkata, March 11

The Congress may announce candidates for the forthcoming elections to 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal in three separate phases based on the recommendations of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee.

"In the first list, which might be announced very shortly, the names of around 100 candidates could be declared, including several party heavyweights. Our state Congress president in West Bengal, Suvankar Sarkar, has already left for New Delhi this evening to finalise the names for the first list after discussions with the All India Congress Committee," said a WBPCC insider, who refused to be named.

The first list, he added, might include names such as former state Congress president in West Bengal and former five-time Lok Sabha member from the Baharampur constituency in Murshidabad district, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

The first list of 100 candidates might also include the name of former Congress Lok Sabha member and former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Mausam Benazir Noor, who recently quit the Trinamool Congress and resigned from the Rajya Sabha before rejoining the Congress.

The Congress has this time severed its electoral and seat-sharing ties with the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which had been in place since the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections and continued through the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and has announced that it will contest independently from all the 294 Assembly constituencies in the state.

The party has also ruled out any kind of electoral understanding with the Trinamool Congress for the forthcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.

"This time, the party high command is relying more on the suggestions of the WBPCC in election-related matters, including the selection of candidates. In fact, the decision to contest independently was also taken based on suggestions from the WBPCC, which were framed after consultations with various district committees of the party in West Bengal," the WBPCC insider said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting to see Mausam Noor back in the fold. This musical chairs of politicians between TMC and Congress is so confusing for voters. Does ideology even matter anymore? Just feels like opportunism.
V
Vikram M
Contesting all 294 seats alone is a very bold, or perhaps foolish, move. Without a strong alliance, they risk splitting the anti-BJP vote and indirectly helping the ruling party. The high command should have thought this through more carefully.
S
Sarah B
Good to hear the state committee's suggestions are being taken seriously. Top-down decisions from Delhi often don't work in states with strong regional sentiments. Hope they field genuine local candidates and not just parachuted leaders.
R
Rohit P
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is a strong face, no doubt. But Congress needs fresh blood and younger candidates who can energize the party. The same old names won't bring the change they're promising.
K
Kavya N
As a Bengali, I just want a stable government that focuses on development, not constant political drama. Whether it's Congress, TMC, or BJP, they should talk about jobs, education, and healthcare for Bengal. Enough of these candidate list stories!

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