The All India Secular Front (AISF) has revealed its candidates for 23 assembly constituencies in the upcoming two-phase West Bengal Assembly elections. Initially planning to field candidates in all 33 constituencies, the AISF later decided on 23 constituencies due to differences of opinion. The party has formed a seat-sharing agreement with the CPI(M)-led Left Front for this election.
Nawsad Siddique, the sole AISF representative in West Bengal, has been renominated from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district. His main rival from this minority-dominated area is Saukat Molla of Trinamool Congress, who has been fielded by the party in Bhangar this time. The BJP candidate for the constituency is Jayanta Gayen, while the Congress candidate is yet to be announced.
In Canning (Purba), the AISF has nominated Arabul Islam, a former influential Trinamool Congress leader and ex-party legislator from Bhangar. Arabul Islam recently joined AISF after leaving the ruling party. However, the All India Forward Bloc’s opposition to the AISF-Left Front alliance has caused disagreements, particularly in four constituencies where the Forward Bloc insists on fielding its candidates.
In the previous 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, a three-way alliance between Congress, Left Front, and AISF was formed. Despite this, only Nawsad Siddique from AISF managed to secure a seat in the Assembly, representing Bhangar in the South 24 Parganas district. This time around, Congress has opted to contest independently across all 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal.
