TMC poll panel to meet at CM's residence; candidates list likely to be announced today

Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Election Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on Friday at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kolkata. According to sources, after this crucial meeting of TMC election panel. party's supremo Mamata Banerjee is likely to announce the candidate list for all 294 seats for the Bengal polls. 

Ahead of Bengal polls; TMC to put up Mamata Banerjee's posters

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega election rally in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress has asked its party's ward coordinators to put up flags and posters with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's picture in every nook and corner of Kolkata. Gearing up for the April 6 elections, the TMC on Thursday directed all Kolkata Councillors to place posters with Banerjee's picture on them, along with the poll slogan 'Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chai' written below.

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The party's senior leaders, including MP Abhishek Banerjee, state president Subrata Bakshi, senior minister and administrator of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim, met the ward coordinators, asking them to reach out to people and create awareness on the government's development work.

During the meeting, the party leadership asked the coordinators to ensure that flags, festoons and posters of Mamata Banerjee with the poll slogan 'Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chai' (Bengal wants its daughter) are put up in every nook and corner of the city. "This has to be done to ensure that the prime minister, during his visit, doesn't miss out on the political message — the state stands with Mamata didi," a TMC leader said after the meeting.

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West Bengal polls

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had swept the 2016 Assembly polls by bagging 211 seats in the 294-member Assembly. On the other hand, the BJP won 18 out of 42 parliamentary seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The saffron party has kickstarted a fierce campaign as it aims to unseat the TMC government. Both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda exuded confidence in the party winning more than 200 seats in the Assembly polls. The Congress-Left-ISF alliance is also in the poll fray while AIMIM too has announced its intention to make its political debut in the state. 

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Announcing the dates of the Assembly polls on February 26, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora mentioned that 18.68 crore persons will decide the fate of 824 seats in the aforesaid 4 States and one Union Territory at 2.7 lakh polling stations. In West Bengal, 294 seats are up for grabs and people will be able to cast their votes at 1,01,916 polling stations. As per the phases, the polling in the state will be conducted on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. The counting of votes shall take place on May 2. 

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(With ANI inputs)