WB Assembly polls: TMC election panel to meet, list of candidates today

Ahead of West Bengal Assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Election Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on Friday at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kolkata, sources stated.

After the meeting, TMC chief Banerjee is likely to announce the candidate list for all 294 seats for the West Bengal Assembly election, sources added.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had on January 18 announced that she would contest from Nandigram as well as Bhowanipur seats.

On February 20, the incumbent TMC launched the slogan for the polls -- "Bangla nijer meyekei chaye" (Bengal wants its own daughter).

The tenure of the 16th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal will end on May 30 this year. A total of 7,34,07,832 voters will choose their representative for the 17th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.

West Bengal is likely to witness a triangular contest this time with TMC, Congress-Left-Indian Secular Front (ISF) alliance and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the fray.

While Mamata Banerjee is seeking her third consecutive term, BJP has set a target of winning 200 seats in the 294-member state Assembly.

In 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections, out of the 294 seats, Congress had managed to win 44 seats while the Left Front bagged 33 seats. The ruling TMC secured 211 seats and the BJP had won 3 seats.

The BJP made deep inroads in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats and reducing TMC's tally to 22. Out of the total 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, Congress won two seats, the Left drew a blank.

After BJP's performance in the 2019 polls, several TMC leaders have joined the party led by JP Nadda.

West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes in the state will take place on May 2.