Kolkata, 19 March (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released its second list of candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, announcing nominees for 112 constituencies. The party has also made one change in its first list.

Earlier, the BJP had announced candidates for 144 seats in its first list. With the second list now out, candidates for 38 seats are yet to be declared.

According to the list, Hiran Chatterjee has been fielded from Shyampur in Howrah, while Rupa Ganguly has been nominated from Sonarpur South, where she is likely to face Trinamool Congress candidate Lovely Maitra.

Former Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh has been fielded from Noapara, while advocate Kaustav Bagchi has been nominated from the Barrackpore Assembly constituency.

Former Union minister and ex-Cooch Behar MP Nisith Pramanik has been nominated from Mathabhanga. Papiya Adhikari has been fielded from Tollygunge and Sharbori Mukherjee from Jadavpur.

In Krishnaganj, sitting MLA Ashis Biswas has been dropped and Sukanta Biswas has been fielded instead. In the Matua-dominated constituencies of Bongaon North, Bongaon South and Gaighata, the party has renominated sitting MLAs Ashok Kirtania, Swapan Majumdar and Subrata Thakur respectively.

Debdas Mandal has been nominated from Habra, former IPS officer Rajesh Kumar from Jagaddal and physician Shardwata Mukhopadhyay from Bidhannagar. Young advocate Tarunjyoti Tiwari has been fielded from Rajarhat Gopalpur.

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Kolkata and South Bengal

Sanat Sardar has been nominated from Sandeshkhali, while Rekha Patra, a face of the Sandeshkhali movement, has been fielded from Hingalganj. BJP Yuva Morcha state president Indranil Khan has been nominated from Behala West.

Ritesh Tiwari has been fielded from Kashipur-Belgachia, state BJP vice-president Tapas Roy from Maniktala and national council member Shatarupa from Ballygunge.

From Egra in East Midnapore, Dibyendu Adhikari, brother of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, has been nominated. Sudip Mukherjee from Purulia Sadar and Niladrishekhar Dana from Bankura Sadar have been renominated.

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Change in first list

The BJP has replaced Agnishwar Naskar with Biswajit Khan as its candidate from Bishnupur. In Jaipur, the party has backed Biswajit Mahato as its supported candidate.

However, the party is yet to announce its candidate for Panihati. According to political sources, the name for this constituency may be announced soon.

With the release of the second list, the electoral contest in West Bengal is expected to intensify further as major political parties continue to finalise their strategies ahead of the polls.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh