The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released its first list of 144 candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.
In the list, senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has been nominated to contest from two constituencies—Bhabanipur and Nandigram. Bhabanipur is widely seen as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold, making the nomination politically significant.
Adhikari had quit the Trinamool Congress ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections and joined the BJP. In that election, he defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.
The BJP’s first list includes 10 women candidates. Senior party figures Swapan Dasgupta (Rashbehari) and Agnimitra Paul (Asansol South) have also been named.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress is expected to release its candidate list today. It is likely to clarify whether Mamata Banerjee will contest again from Bhabanipur and Nandigram against Adhikari, or shift to another constituency.
