Cong lists 25 for Bengal, leaves 2 seats for CPM

Kolkata: The Congress is not fielding candidates from Jadavpur and Bankura, leaving the two Lok Sabha seats for CPM’s Bikash Bhattacharya and Amiya Patra to take on BJP and Trinamool. The decision comes after the Left Front stayed away from Behrampore and Malda Dakshin.

The Congress high command gave the go-ahead to Lakshman Seth to fight Trinamool’s Dibyendu Adhikari from his brother Suvendu Adhikari’s home turf Tamluk.

Seth, a three-time MP from Tamluk who had joined Congress barely a month back, was handpicked by the party’s Bengal president Somen Mitra. After being expelled from CPM, Seth had joined BJP for a brief while in 2015. While he was scheduled to join Congress a few months ago, lack of consensus among party members had put his induction on hold for some time.

“I know most Congress workers personally. It will not be difficult for me to earn their trust,” Seth said.

Congress leader and Baduria MLA Abdul Gaffar Kazi’s son Kazi Abdur Rahim is the party candidate from Basirhat. Rahim has been pitted against Trinamool’s Nusrat Jahan, BJP’s Sayantan Basu and CPI’s Pallab Sengupta. Rahim’s nomination raised eyebrows in Trinamool circles.

Congress fielded Bagmundi MLA Nepal Mahato from Purulia. Mahato had been pressing for his candidature.

Former Kolkata police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee’s son Ranajit Mukherjee is the Congress candidate from Burdwan-Durgapur. Pradesh Congress Committee member since 1992, Debabrata Biswas is the party’s nominee from Serampore.

The AICC on Monday announced another 25 candidates in addition to the 11 announced earlier, taking the candidate tally to 36 out of the total 42 seats in Bengal. Congress is looking for a heavyweight for the Kolkata Uttar constituency, party sources said. The high command is in the process of selecting candidates for another two seats, Asansol and Ghatal.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s relative Suvra Ghosh was nominated from Howrah constituency. Ghosh, a vice president with Pradesh Congress Committee, is a first-timer.

Mita Chakraborty, an entrepreneur and managing director of a technology solutions company, was fielded from Kolkata Dakshin. Mita, an active member of Professional Congress, has already been the state coordinator of Congress’ social media team. Pradesh Mahila Congress president Subrota Datta has been nominated from Barasat.