Congress fields Adhir Ranjan from Behrampur, releases first list of candidates for Bengal poll

The Indian National Contress released its first list of candidates for Bengal elections. Among the most high-profile names in the release is Pradip Prasad, who has been fielded from the crucial Bhabanipur constituency in Kolkata. Another significant inclusion is veteran leader and senior parliamentarian Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who will be contesting from his traditional stronghold of Baharampur. The party has also maintained a focus on its established leadership in the Malda and Murshidabad regions, nominating familiar faces like Mostaque Alam for Harischandrapur and Smt. Mausam Noor for Malatipur.

The candidate selection shows a strategic distribution across various categories, including a significant number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Key candidates for the northern districts include Smt. Ila Rani Roy for Mekliganj (SC) and Aloke Dhara for Siliguri. In the industrial and coal belt, the party has nominated Debesh Chakraborty for Durgapur Purba and Souvik Mukherjee for Asansol Dakshin, aiming to recapture its influence in the urban working-class segments.

The timing of the release, coming just weeks before the expected commencement of polling, is seen as an effort to give candidates sufficient time to mobilize at the grassroots level. By naming candidates for nearly all seats, the Congress appears to be positioning itself as a primary contender in the state's multi-cornered contest. The list concludes with Sanjibur Rahaman being fielded from Murarai, rounding off a massive organizational exercise by the AICC's Central Election Committee.