Kolkata, 23 March (H.S.): The Indian Secular Front (ISF), led by Abbas Siddiqui and Naushad Siddiqui, on Monday released its first list of 23 candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

Among the prominent names is former Bhangar MLA Arabul Islam, who has been fielded from the Canning Purba constituency. Islam had earlier announced his exit from the Trinamool Congress after being expelled from the party.

The Canning Purba seat is currently held by Shaukat Molla, who has now been fielded by the Trinamool Congress from Bhangar. Political observers note that Molla and Islam have had public differences in the past, making ISF’s decision to field Islam from the seat significant.

ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui will contest from Bhangar. The party has also fielded former SFI leader Priyanka Barman from Madhyamgram. Mofidul Haque Sahaji, who recently joined ISF after leaving the Trinamool Congress, has been nominated from Deganga.

The announcement has the potential to create friction within the Left Front, particularly the CPI(M), as candidates have already been declared in four of the seats by Left allies.

Other candidates in the list include Rakrimal Haque from Sujapur in Malda, Shamsur Ali Mallick from Palashipara in Nadia, and Jakir Mondal from Chapra.

In North 24 Parganas, ISF has fielded candidates in seven constituencies, including Baduria, Ashoknagar, Amdanga, Madhyamgram, Deganga, Howrah, and Basirhat North.

In South 24 Parganas, candidates have been announced for Kulpi, Canning Paschim, Canning Purba, Magrahat Paschim, and Bhangar.

The party has also named candidates for several other constituencies across the state, including Haripal and Khanakul in Hooghly, Panskura Paschim in Purba Medinipur, Nandigram, Salboni in Paschim Medinipur, Barabani in Paschim Bardhaman, and Bolpur and Murarai in Birbhum.

ISF said it will announce candidates for the remaining seats in the coming days.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey