Mamata releases Trinamool's list for Bengal polls

Kolkata, March 5 Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Friday released her partys candidate list for all 294 seats in the Bengal Assembly.

"I have given importance to young people this time while choosing the name of candidates. They all are young people," Banerjee said.

It appeared to be a star-studded affair as the Trinamool chief accommodated a slew of Bengali film and television industry representatives in the party's candidate list for the upcoming elections in March-April.

Banerjee said that she will contest from East Midnapore's Nandigram this time. "I will contest from Nandigram. I keep my promises," she said while releasing the list here at her Kalighat residence.

State power minister and Trinamool Congress veteran Sovandeb Chatterjee will contest from Bhawanipore seat as Mamata chose to contest from Nandigram.

Former Trinamool Councilor and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)'s Member of Mayor in council (MMiC) Debashis Kumar will contest from Rashbihari seat, in place of Chatterjee.

The Trinamool supremo also fielded actor Kanchan Mallick, who had joined the Trinamool Congress a few days back, from Hooghly's Uttarpara; Soham Chakraborty from Chandipur; director Raj Chakraborty from Barrackpore; actress Sayantika from Bankura; actress June Malliah from Midnapore sadar; actress Sayani Ghosh from Asansol south; cricketer Manoj Tiwari from Howrah's Shibpur and Kaushani Mukherjee from Krishnanagar north assembly constituency.

West Bengal will go to polls in eight phases between March 27 and April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 2.

( With inputs from IANS )