The Trinamool Congress (TMC), headed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, unveiled its list of 291 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections on Tuesday, excluding 74 of its sitting MLAs—over one-third of its current legislators. Voting for the 294-seat Assembly is scheduled for April 23 and 29. Announcing the candidates at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata, Banerjee expressed confidence that the party would return to power for a fourth consecutive term with around 226 seats. She confirmed that she will once again contest from Bhabanipur, the seat she won in a 2021 bypoll after losing Nandigram to Adhikari.

The BJP, which released its first list a day earlier, has fielded Adhikari from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur. In response, the TMC has nominated Pabitra Kar, a former panchayat leader previously linked to the BJP who recently rejoined the party. Responding to questions about her contest, Banerjee said she works year-round and has full faith in the voters of Bhabanipur, expressing confidence of a record-margin victory. The TMC has also left three Darjeeling Hills seats for its ally, the Anil Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC narrowly led the BJP in vote share, while the BJP secured 18 seats. The TMC later achieved a decisive win in the 2021 Assembly polls with 215 seats and maintained its dominance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning 29 seats compared to the BJP’s 12. Its strength in the Assembly has since risen to 225 due to defections and bypoll wins. Out of its 224 MLAs, the party has retained 135, reassigned 15 to different constituencies, and dropped 74—indicating an attempt to counter anti-incumbency while maintaining its grassroots network. Senior leaders such as Firhad Hakim, Arup Biswas, and Chandrima Bhattacharya have been renominated. Athlete Swapna Barman will contest from Rajganj, and Sirsan Banerjee from Uttarpara.

According to TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the candidate list includes 239 men and 52 women. In terms of social representation, 149 candidates belong to General and OBC categories, 78 are from Scheduled Castes, 17 from Scheduled Tribes, and 47 from minority communities. The party has also fielded 11 SCST candidates in unreserved seats, reflecting its strategy to broaden representation.

Banerjee described the list as part of a gradual generational transition. Abhishek Banerjee noted that four candidates are under 31, while 38 are aged between 31 and 40. The largest group falls within the 51–60 age bracket, followed by those aged 41–50. The Congress, leading the United Democratic Front (UDF), announced its first list of 55 candidates for the Kerala Assembly elections, renominating 19 sitting MLAs. The party aims to defeat the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front, which has won the last two elections.

Kerala’s 140-seat Assembly will go to polls on April 9. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala will contest from Haripad, while Opposition leader V D Satheesan will run from Paravur, both seeking to retain their long-held seats. Chandy Oommen will contest from Puthupally, continuing his family’s legacy after winning a bypoll in 2023 following his father Oommen Chandy’s death. Ramya Haridas will contest from Chirayinkeezhu, while K Muraleedharan will run from Vattiyoorkavu, a seat he had previously won before moving to Parliament.

Separately, allegations of cross-voting and “horse trading” surfaced during Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana. The Congress suspended three MLAs in Odisha and warned others in Haryana. The NDA secured nine of the 11 seats, including one BJP-backed Independent in Odisha. The BJP and its allies rejected the opposition’s claims, stating that the opposition failed to manage its legislators properly and did not issue clear voting instructions.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.