Former cricketer Shib Sankar Paul, others join TMC in presence of Chandrima Bhattacharya

Former cricketer Shib Sankar Paul on Tuesday joined the All India Trinamool Congress ahead of the party’s much-anticipated announcement of candidates for the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026. His induction comes at a crucial moment, as political activity intensifies across the state following the release of candidate lists by rival parties.

Along with Paul, educationist Tanushree Hansda and Mohammad Abdul Matin also joined the party. They were formally welcomed by senior leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Partha Bhowmick, who handed them the party flag. In a parallel development, Mangal Soren, Law Officer of Sadhu Ramchand Murmu University, joined the party from the Jhargram district office.

The developments come a day after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party announced their candidate lists. While the BJP declared candidates for 144 out of 294 seats, the CPI(M) named nominees for 192 seats. The Trinamool Congress is expected to announce its full list for all 294 seats, with indications that several new and younger faces could feature prominently.

Political focus has also intensified on key constituencies such as Nandigram and Bhabanipur, especially after BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was fielded from both seats. Bhabanipur is represented by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while Nandigram had emerged as a high-stakes battleground in the previous election. With speculation growing over Trinamool’s strategy, the recent wave of new joinings has added to the anticipation surrounding its candidate list.