The All India Congress Committee (AICC) revealed candidates for the final 10 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming two-phase elections later this month. Previously, on March 29, the AICC had disclosed candidates for 284 out of the total 294 Assembly constituencies in the state. The latest announcement completes the list with candidates named for all 294 constituencies, including Alipurduars, Islampur, Gazole, Farakka, Sagardighi, Beldanga, Baduria, Ashoknagar, Sreerampore, and Pataspur.
No prominent political figures are included in the recent candidate list. The Congress has opted to contest independently across all 294 Assembly constituencies, breaking away from its former alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front in West Bengal. The alliance between Congress and the Left Front, which had been in place since the 2016 Assembly elections and continued through the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has now been severed.
The upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal are set for April 23 and April 29, with polling scheduled for 152 constituencies in the first phase and 142 in the second phase. The electoral landscape in the state is anticipated to be a four-way battle involving the Trinamool Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the CPI(M)-led Left Front, and the Congress. Additionally, in certain minority-dominated areas, the alliance between the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Humayun Kabir’s Aam Aadmi Unnayan Party (AAUP) could impact the competition.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, criticized the Congress for not supporting the Trinamool Congress’ movement against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She accused the Congress of neglecting the issue and failing to assist voters during the revision process. Banerjee expressed disappointment at the lack of response from Congress despite her appeals for joint action against the SIR. At an election rally in Nabagram, she also accused the Election Commission of India of targeting her Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata, alleging the deletion of a significant number of voters from the list.
