Kolkata: Both the TMC and the BJP is now harping on the celebrity candidates. After the meeting with the central election committee the BJP sources mentioned a few celebrities’ names and their probable seats.
“In some constituencies of North Kolkata actor Yash Dasgupta and Payal Sarkar will be fielded. Anjana Basu is likely from Tollygunge and Rimjhim Mitra likely from Kasba constituency,” mentioned the BJP sources.
Coming out from the closed door meeting at BJP national president JP Nadda’s residence in the national capital, West Bengal former forest minister Rajib Banerjee said that though nothing is final but during the meeting Suvendu Adhikari volunteered to contest from Nandigram constituency.
“The central election committee will again meet in the evening to finalise the list. Even I want to contest from my home turf. But today talks were held for the first two phases of the election,” stated Rajib.
Meanwhile, amidst the joining of several celebrities from actors to folk singer and director, the TMC is also ready to portray the ‘celebrity face’ in the Assembly polls.
Actor-turned-BJP leader Subhadra Mukerjee along with folk singer Aditi Munshi and Director with Mumbai connect Dheeraj Pandit joined the ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday.
Notably, at a closed door meeting at Trinamool Bhavan in Kolkata, the TMC supremo had decided that there will be 40 percent new faces including the Bengali celebs.
“Apart from 40 percent new faces the leaders above 80 years of age will not be given tickets and the candidates list for all 294 constituencies will be given out on March 5,” stated the TMC sources.
In order to give impetus to the councilors and to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade ground on March 7, at least 1000 TMC flags and CD with the theme song of “Bangla Nijer Meyeke Chaye’ (Bengal wants its own daughter) were distributed amongst the TMC councilors and cadres.
“The theme song will be played across the state and the flags will be hoisted at every nook and corner of the state ahead of Modi’s rally. Posters of the theme will also be set up across West Bengal. The councilor who will help the TMC win in those constituencies where BJP is leading one crore rupees will be given to those councilors for the developmental work at his ward,” further mentioned the sources.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim claimed that a cash amount was declared to give an impetus to the retiring councilors.
On the other side, ending the drama over seat sharing, the seat sharing ratio between the Left Front, Congress and the Indian Secular Front had been finalised.
According to sources, the Left Front will contest from 165 seats, the Congress will fight from 92 seats and the ISF will contest from 37 seats of total 294 Assembly constituencies.
“The candidates list will be given on March 5. The Congress list will probably be announced from the national capital,” said the sources.
