Kolkata:
Facing its stiffest electoral fight since coming to power in 1977, West Bengal's Left Front Sunday dropped 150 sitting legislators, or almost two-thirds of its present strength, for the April-May assembly elections and will field new faces in their place.
Comprising 292 candidates for the 294-member assembly, the Left's list was full of surprises with nine ministers, including heavyweights like School Education Minister Partha De, Small Scale Industries minister Manab Mukherjee, Water Resources Minister Nandogopal Bhattacharjee and Backward Class Welfare Minister Jogesh Chandra Burman, not figuring in it. Two remaining candidates will be named soon.
"Many ministers are not well. Like Nandogopal Bhattacharjee of CPI (Communist Party of India) who is very sick. Others ministers like Manab Mukherjee did not want to contest. He will be given organizational responsibilities," said Left Front chairman Biman Bose.
In an effort to fight the anti-incumbency wave, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) led Left Front has fielded 149 new candidates. It had currently 230 members in the outgoing house. The list also compromises 46 women candidates.
"This time we are fielding near about 149 to 150 new candidates. Last time we had fielded 134 new candidates. This time we have given tickets to 46 woman candidates. Last time we had given tickets to 34 woman candidates," Bose told media persons here.
Chief Minister and CPI-M politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will fight from Jadavpur assembly constituency and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen from Burdwan South assembly constituency. Housing Minister Gautam Deb's constituency has been changed from Hasnabad to Dum Dum.
Bose said Satarup Ghosh, a CPI-M student wing leader, fielded from Kasba constituency is the Left Front's youngest candidate, just having crossed the age of eligibility (25) to contest elections.
The Left Front has opted for nominations on the basis of the winnability of the candidates, sources in the Front said.
The list of candidates also includes about 65 candidates from minority communities, of which 56 are Muslims.
"This time, we have given tickets to 56 Muslim candidates. There may be one or two more. And all total, we are fielding 64 to 65 candidates from minority communities including Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians," said Bose.
The Left Front's industrialisation process received a severe blow during the opposition Trinamool Congress-led anti-land acquisition movements in Nandigram of East Midnapore and Singur in Hooghly districts. The agitations reversed the state's electoral script.
The Left Front, which has been winning all elections since 1977, was battered in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and last year's civic polls, besides losing a series of assembly by-elections.
Polling in the six-phase elections will be held April 18, 23, 27, May 3, 7 and 10. Counting will take place on May 13.
Comprising 292 candidates for the 294-member assembly, the Left's list was full of surprises with nine ministers, including heavyweights like School Education Minister Partha De, Small Scale Industries minister Manab Mukherjee, Water Resources Minister Nandogopal Bhattacharjee and Backward Class Welfare Minister Jogesh Chandra Burman, not figuring in it. Two remaining candidates will be named soon.
"Many ministers are not well. Like Nandogopal Bhattacharjee of CPI (Communist Party of India) who is very sick. Others ministers like Manab Mukherjee did not want to contest. He will be given organizational responsibilities," said Left Front chairman Biman Bose.
In an effort to fight the anti-incumbency wave, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) led Left Front has fielded 149 new candidates. It had currently 230 members in the outgoing house. The list also compromises 46 women candidates.
"This time we are fielding near about 149 to 150 new candidates. Last time we had fielded 134 new candidates. This time we have given tickets to 46 woman candidates. Last time we had given tickets to 34 woman candidates," Bose told media persons here.
Chief Minister and CPI-M politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will fight from Jadavpur assembly constituency and Industry Minister Nirupam Sen from Burdwan South assembly constituency. Housing Minister Gautam Deb's constituency has been changed from Hasnabad to Dum Dum.
Bose said Satarup Ghosh, a CPI-M student wing leader, fielded from Kasba constituency is the Left Front's youngest candidate, just having crossed the age of eligibility (25) to contest elections.
The Left Front has opted for nominations on the basis of the winnability of the candidates, sources in the Front said.
The list of candidates also includes about 65 candidates from minority communities, of which 56 are Muslims.
"This time, we have given tickets to 56 Muslim candidates. There may be one or two more. And all total, we are fielding 64 to 65 candidates from minority communities including Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians," said Bose.
The Left Front's industrialisation process received a severe blow during the opposition Trinamool Congress-led anti-land acquisition movements in Nandigram of East Midnapore and Singur in Hooghly districts. The agitations reversed the state's electoral script.
The Left Front, which has been winning all elections since 1977, was battered in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and last year's civic polls, besides losing a series of assembly by-elections.
Polling in the six-phase elections will be held April 18, 23, 27, May 3, 7 and 10. Counting will take place on May 13.
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