Kolkata, 20 February (H.S.) : The initial process of selecting candidates for all 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal for the upcoming state elections has begun, and the ruling All India Trinamool Congress is reportedly considering changing the constituencies of several heavyweight ministers and veteran legislators.
According to party sources, two rounds of closed-door meetings were held on Wednesday and Thursday at the Kalighat residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. The meetings involved select members of the party’s top leadership and focused on preliminary discussions regarding probable candidates for the Assembly polls.
Sources indicated that the names of certain sitting cabinet ministers and senior MLAs were discussed, with the possibility that some of them may be fielded from different constituencies this time. At the same time, deliberations were also held on a few incumbent legislators who may not be re-nominated and could instead be assigned key organisational responsibilities.
A major point of discussion was striking a balance between “old guards” and “new faces” in the candidate list. The party leadership is also said to be considering the inclusion of non-political and well-known personalities from fields such as entertainment, media, and other professions.
“This time, the candidate list may include some major surprises,” a party source said.
Meanwhile, discussions have also commenced regarding the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections for five seats from West Bengal scheduled for March 16. Based on the current numerical strength in the Assembly, the Trinamool Congress is expected to comfortably secure four of the five seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to win one.
Party sources further stated that of the four seats where the Trinamool Congress’ victory appears assured, three candidates are expected to be senior leaders from the party’s core leadership. The fourth seat may go to a non-political figure with a strong network and influence in the national capital.
The party is likely to release its first list of candidates in the coming days, a development keenly awaited in political circles.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
