TMC to go it alone in Assembly polls, Mamata Banerjee announces candidates

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress will go it alone in next month's Assembly election in West Bengal, its supremo Mamata Banerjee today said and declared the list of TMC candidates soon after Election Commission announced the poll schedule.

TMC had contested the 2011 Assembly poll in the state in alliance with Congress.

Announcing the names of TMC candidates at a press conference, Banerjee said the number of women candidates was increased from 31 in 2011 to 45 while the number of minority candidates has gone up from 38 in 2011 to 57.

Former transport minister Madan Mitra, an accused in Saradha chit fund scam who is now in jail, will contest the election, she said.

The TMC list included former Bengal cricket captain Lakshim Ratan Shukla, daughter of former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, Baishali Dalmiya, former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia and footballer Rahim Nabi.

She said constituencies of some sitting MLAs have been changed, while a few of them have been dropped.

Turning to the six-phase election, Banerjee said the situation in the state is peaceful and there is no communal tension.

"We welcome Election Commission's decision to go for six-phase poll. We will fight the battle," she said and accused the opposition parties of "conspiring" to give a different picture of the state.