Picture : Twitter / ANI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said she will be contesting from the Nandigram constituency as announced earlier. Thus setting the stage for a political slug fest with former party leader Suvendu Adhikari. Suvendu is the current MLA from Nandigram. Adhikari, once a close aide of Banerjee and TMC leader, switched to the BJP in December last year.
Further the TMC has announced the list of 291 candidates and left three seats for its ally, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Banerjee said she will contest from Nandigram and not from Bhowanipore constituency, from where she has been the sitting MLA since 2011.
“We are the first political party to announce the candidate list. Today, we are releasing a list of 291 candidates, which includes 50 women, 79 SCs, 17 STs and 42 Muslim candidates. On three seats of north Bengal, we are not putting up our candidates. In three seats — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong — Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will contest the elections and whoever wins will support us,” she informed.
“I will contest from Nandigram as I stick to my words. From Bhowanipore constituency, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay will be contesting in the upcoming assembly elections,” she added.
