Forward Bloc announces first list 38 LS candidates

All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) today released its first list of 38 candidates from 11 states for the Lok Sabha elections, saying it would fight for people's issues and strive to strengthen the Left, democratic and secular forces in the country.

The list has three candidates from West Bengal, including the party's sitting MP Narahari Mahato who would contest from Purulia constituency of West Bengal.

The party, which currently represents Coochbehar constituency, would put up a new nominee this time, apart from the Barasat Lok Sabha seat in the state.

AIFB would contest from eight Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, six each in Assam and Uttar Pradesh, four in Bihar, three each in Haryana and Jharkhand and one each in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka and the West Delhi constituency here.

"The main objective of the Forward Bloc is to strengthen and unite the Left, democratic and secular forces to achieve an alternative policy for reconstruction of the country," party General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said in a statement.

The AIFB also released a list of six assembly segments in Odisha, where it would put up its candidates. The assembly seats are Bhubaneshwar Central, Chandabali, Hindol, Talcher, Hinjili and Behrampur.