BJP releases fifth list of candidates for Bengal Assembly elections

The ruling Trinamool Congress has already announced candidates for all the 294 seats

The BJP on Saturday announced its fifth list of five candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to the list, Saurav Sikdar will contest from Dum Dum Uttar, Taraknath Chatterjee (Krishnanagar Uttar), Anupam Biswas (Kalyani), Anindya Raju Banerjee (Madhyamgram), and Rudraprasad Banerjee from Uluberia Purba.

Saurav Sikdar is the nephew of senior BJP leader and former Union minister Tapan Sikdar, while Anindya Raju Banerjee, a former state vice-president, had unsuccessfully contested from Kamarhati in the 2021 Assembly polls. He had remained on the sidelines for the past three years but became active after Samik Bhattacharya took over as party state president.

 

Meanwhile, amid sustained protests by party workers and supporters, the BJP has been compelled to change its candidates in three constituencies -- Basirhat Uttar, Behala Purba and Bishnupur (SC).

In Behala Purba, the party has replaced Sunil Maharaj with Shankar Sikdar. In Basirhat Uttar, Kaushik Sidharth has been fielded in place of Narayan Chandra Mondal. In Bishnupur (SC), the party has nominated Abhijit Sardar.

With this, the BJP has released the names of 292 candidates for the 294 seats in West Bengal.

The state will vote in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- while counting will take place on May 4.