Elections In Calcutta

Prominent candidates: Debiprasad Pal (Congress), Sudip Bandopadhyay (Trinamool Congress) and Sarala Maheswari (CPM).

l Pal, as the sitting MP, faces strong competition from his erstwhile party

colleague, now contesting as a Trinamool candidate. CPI(M) may gain, though Congress has an edge.

CALCUTTA NORTH EAST

Prominent candidates: Ajit Kumar Panja (Trinamool Congress), Sadhan Pande (Congress) and Prasanta Chatterjee (CPM).

l Panja is a clear leader in the race with his well-oiled election machine, but Pande may prove to be a thorn in his side. Chatterjee, as the Mayor of Calcutta, is the toughest challenger to Panja.

CALCUTTA SOUTH

Prominent candidates: Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Prasanta Sur (CPM), Saugata Roy (Congress).

 

l Mamata is a favourite, and makes it the most keenly-watched fight. Sur is fighting hard to neutralise the larger-than-life image of Banerjee. Roy is a sitting MLA, and is expected to eat into Banerjee's vote bank, but the question is how much.

JADAVPORE

Prominent candidates: Krishna Bose (Trinamool Congress), Malini Bhattacharya (CPM), Ram Pyare Ram (Congress).

l Sitting MP Bose is a Trinamool Congress candidate this time. Malini Bhattacharya lost to her last time and is putting up a tough fight to regain the Left stronghold.

DIAMOND HARBOUR

Prominent candidates: Sitting MP Samik Lahiri (CPM), Maya Ghose (Congress) and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (Trinamool Congress).

l CPM has a clear lead and the opposition vote will split between the Congress and its breakaway group.

DUM DUM

Prominent candidates: Tapan Sikdar (BJP), Nirmal Kanti Chatterjee (CPM) and Pradyut Guha (Congress).

l Sikdar is the state BJP chief and has ventured to test the ground with the support of the Trinamool Congress, but the CPM has almost regularly got over the Congress challenge in the traditional fight between the two parties.

BARRACKPORE

Prominent candidates: Tarit Baran Topodar (CPM), Lal Bahadur Singh (Congress), Tarun Adhikary (Trinamool Congress).

l Topodar is a clear favourite in this industrial suburb of Calcutta though the area is full of sick units. Congress has fielded the state INTUC general secretary.

HOWRAH

Prominent candidates: Swadesh Chakraborty (CPM), Ambica Banerjee (Congress) and Bikram Sarkar (Trinamool Congress).

l CPI(M) is determined to wrest this seat from the Congress whose sitting MP Priyaranajan Das Munshi has shifted elsewhere. Sarkar, also former chairman of Calcutta Port Trust, depends on the mass appeal of Mamata Banerjee and the organisational support of BJP.