Mamata Banerjee to announce 42 TMC candidates for 2024 Lok Sabha Polls at Kolkata rally today

Mamata Banerjee to announce all 42 TMC candidates for Lok Sabha Polls 2024 at Kolkata rally today

Today in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee is set to disclose the complete list of 42 TMC candidates for the Lok Sabha Polls 2024

The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) is set to announce the names of all 42 candidates from West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections today. The announcement will be made during the party’s massive rally ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’ at Kolkata’s Brigade Ground, with Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and leader of the TMC, expected to disclose the names. The rally is being led by Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary.

The TMC, which emerged victorious in 22 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is aiming to regain its dominance in West Bengal. However, it faced a setback in the 2019 elections as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made significant gains, winning 18 seats. The Congress managed to secure two seats, marking a decrease in the TMC’s performance compared to the 2014 general elections when it won 34 out of the 42 seats.

One of the key developments leading up to the announcement of candidates is the failure of the TMC to reach an agreement on seat-sharing with the Congress party as part of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc. The TMC announced on Sunday morning that Mamata Banerjee will not be engaging in any seat adjustments with Congress in West Bengal as part of the INDIA.

The ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’ rally, expected to attract around six to eight lakh supporters, is taking place amidst a backdrop of several political leaders in West Bengal switching parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Former TMC MLA Tapas Roy recently joined the BJP, while former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay officially became a member of the BJP in Kolkata on March 7. On the same day, BJP MLA from Ranaghat-Dakshin Mukut Mani Adhikari switched allegiance to the TMC.

The announcement of candidates and the massive rally indicate the TMC’s determination to maintain its stronghold in West Bengal and counter the growing influence of the BJP in the state. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal are expected to be highly competitive and closely watched by political observers.