Bengal BJP sends choice of names for each assembly seat to central leadership

Elections have already been announced in West Bengal and will be held in eight phases starting from March 27.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal unit has sent a list comprising at least three to five names for each assembly constituency from where the party’s central leadership may choose the candidates for the crucial assembly polls.

Infighting between the newcomers and old timers in BJP’s West Bengal has been a concern for the party’s leadership. Since 2019, more than two dozen MLAs and former legislators of the ruling TMC have joined the BJP. (PTI FILE PHOTO)

“For each constituency we have sent at least three to five names to Delhi. For some constituencies even six names have been sent. The party’s leadership will finalise the list soon,” said a senior BJP leader.

Elections have already been announced in West Bengal and will be held in eight phases starting from March 27. The BJP, which had made deep inroads in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls winning 18 of the 42 seats, has set a target to win more than 200 seats out of the 294 seats in the assembly. The TMC says that the BJP will not get more than 99 seats.

“A team of leaders from the party’s state unit would be going to Delhi on Wednesday. A meeting would be held with the party’s central election committee to finalise the candidate list on Thursday. The final call would be taken by BJP’s top leaders such as Union home minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda,” said a senior leader.

Infighting between the newcomers and old timers in BJP’s West Bengal has been a concern for the party’s leadership. Since 2019, more than two dozen MLAs and former legislators of the ruling TMC have joined the BJP. The list also includes actors and sportspersons among others.

Senior leaders of the TMC meanwhile said that party chief Mamata Banerjee may file her nomination from Nandigram next week around March 10–11.

“The party is finalizing the list. Many new names are being deliberated upon. The list will be declared soon,” said a senior TMC leader.

A series of actors from Tollywood have joined the TMC over the past few weeks along with other famous personalities. Among them is a senior IPS officer who resigned from his post and joined the party.