Yusuf Pathan vs Adhir Ranjan: TMC announces candidates for Bengal polls; No alliance with Congress

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced its candidates for all 42 seats in West Bengal, with former Team India cricketer Yusuf Pathan set to contest from the Baharampur constituency, a Congress stronghold currently held by its Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. While the Congress is yet to announce its candidates, Chowdhury is expected to seek re-election from Baharampur, a seat he has won five times in the Lok Sabha.

The TMC's announcement comes amidst the confirmation that there will be no formal alliance with non-BJP parties in the state. Although the Congress and the TMC are part of the INDIA alliance, there hasn't been a concrete seat-sharing strategy in Bengal. The Trinamool is believed to have offered Baharampur and another seat to the Congress, but the Congress decided to contest independently as it sought a larger share of seats.

In response, the Congress reiterated its desire for a respectable seat-sharing agreement with the TMC in West Bengal. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh emphasized that any agreement should be reached through negotiations and not unilateral announcements. The Congress has expressed its desire for the INDIA group to collectively combat the BJP in the upcoming elections.