Trinamul Congress today announced its candidates for Kolkata municipal corporation elections late in the evening.
TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said that in 2015 KMC elections, Trinamul had 126 councillors of which 87 were again given tickets but 39 of those have been dropped and will be absorbed in the various party fold. Bandopadhyay said, “Among our candidates, 80 are male and 64 female. This time, we have given 45 per cent women representation to KMC.”
Trinamul Congress chairperson today held meeting with party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, party’s state president Subrata Bakshi, secretary general Partha Chatterjee and other leaders like Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas and some MPs. TMC poll strategist Prashant Kishor was also present during the meeting.
The meeting lasted for more than two hours. Chatterjee said, “We have included women, schedule caste and minority community in the list.” He said not only four sitting MLAs- Firhad Hakim, Atin Ghosh, Debasish Kumar, and Debabrata Majumdar have been given tickets two more MLAs are also therein the list.
He said, “MP Mala Roy is included in the list but MP Santanu Sen has been dropped.” Another MLA of Behala (East) Ratna Chatterjee, wife of former KMC Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, was also given nomination. It is learnt that MIC Sashi Panja’s daughter Pooja Panja will also contest in the poll. A journalist’s wife Mausumi Das will replace sitting councillor of Ward No. 93 Ratan Dey.
Asim Bose is the candidate for Ward No. 70. Scotching speculations, Babul Supriyo, former central minister who recently defected to TMC, was denied ticket in the KMC elections. Sources say that since Supriyo had joined TMC briefly, giving him ticket might annoy other leaders.
To avoid intra-party squabble over Mayor, Chatterjee refused to project any probable candidate to the post, saying that a consensus will be reached with all the councillors after the elections. Although there were apprehensions regarding Atin Ghosh’s ticket owing to TMC’s “one man one post” policy, ultimately he found his name in the list.
Soon after, speaking to media persons, he said, “I have worked responsibly in my area and have served the people for the last 35 years. My supremo Mamata Banerjee has again given me an opportunity to work for the people and I am deeply obliged to her”.
When asked about his role if he wins the elections, the Cossipore-Belgachia MLA said, “My objective this time will be to bring the slum dwellers under the ‘Amar Bari’ scheme and give them concrete housing. For this, I also want to bring in private investment as well”.
Late state minister Subrata Mukherjee’s sister Tanima Chatterjee has been given ticket who had not held any elected post but was in the party. TMC. Moreover, former councillor Smita Bakshi failed to find a place in the candidates’ list
TMC MLA Swarnakamal Saha’s son Sandipan Saha and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya’s son Sourav Basu. Former MMIC Tarak Singh’s
son and daughter were also given tickets for KMC elections. Although TMC MP Shantanu Sen has been dropped from the list his wife Kakoli Sen has been selected as a candidate.
Former Cricket Association of Bengal official Biswarup De has also been given ticket and he will play his first match in electoral politics in a vital poll. There are 23 candidates from the minority community. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has infused 57 new faces among the candidates.
After Hakim learned that he was in the list, he said, “I am a loyal soldier of the party and will abide by the party’s directions”.