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Battlelines drawn in Bengal LF faces AITC in north, Cong in south
Kolkata, Apr 04: Though election fever is yet to grip West Bengal, preliminary reports indicate that the ruling Left Front would virtually have direct contest with the Trinamool Congress in the southern districts and Congress in the northern districts.
Kolkata, Apr 04: Though election fever is yet to grip West Bengal, preliminary reports indicate that the ruling Left Front would virtually have direct contest with the Trinamool Congress in the
southern districts and Congress in the northern districts.
Preliminary reports indicate that the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which had announced its candidates in early February, is maintaining an edge over political rivals in campaigning, grabbing wall space and holding select group meetings.
The state goes to polls on May 10 for the 42 Lok Sabha seats.
The Trinamool Congress and Congress, however, managed to catch up with the campaigning, albeit on a low key, because of the current school leaving examinations which would end around this month-end. The main contenders--Left Front, Trinamool Congress and Congress-- are hoping to launch full-scale electioneering after the Bengali New Year's Day on April 14. However, they are keen to limit campaigning within a few days because of rising costs.
Battlelines have, however, been drawn with the Left Front remaining as the major player and the Trinamool Congress and Congress expected to be confined to certain pockets of the state.
While the Trinamool Congress nominated its senior leaders, including party supremo Mamata Banerjee, besides Subrata Mukherjee, Ajit Panja, Ranjit Panja and Saugata Roy mostly from the southern districts, the congress has chosen to field its senior leaders like Pranab Mukherjee, A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury and P R Das Munshi from Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur districts respectively in the north. The BJP is contesting 13 seats with an electoral adjustment with the Trinamool Congress. Its two Union Ministers Tapan Sikdar and Satya Brato Mukherjee are seeking re-election also from the two south Bengal districts of North 24 Parganas and Nadia respectively.
Perhaps this is the first time when glamour has been brought into West Bengal's electoral fray. The congress has nominated noted swimmer and Bollywood actress Nasifa Ali. She will take on the fiery Mamata Banerjee in the prestigious Kolkata south seat. Yesteryear's star Mousumi Chatterjee, who recently joined the Congress, will add fillip to the campaigning in Kolkata South and Kolkata North-East seats.
This is also the first time when largescale use of huge cut-outs of political personalities were introduced in the state. However, only the Trinamool Congress has adopted this method.
Bureau Report
The state goes to polls on May 10 for the 42 Lok Sabha seats.
The Trinamool Congress and Congress, however, managed to catch up with the campaigning, albeit on a low key, because of the current school leaving examinations which would end around this month-end. The main contenders--Left Front, Trinamool Congress and Congress-- are hoping to launch full-scale electioneering after the Bengali New Year's Day on April 14. However, they are keen to limit campaigning within a few days because of rising costs.
Battlelines have, however, been drawn with the Left Front remaining as the major player and the Trinamool Congress and Congress expected to be confined to certain pockets of the state.
While the Trinamool Congress nominated its senior leaders, including party supremo Mamata Banerjee, besides Subrata Mukherjee, Ajit Panja, Ranjit Panja and Saugata Roy mostly from the southern districts, the congress has chosen to field its senior leaders like Pranab Mukherjee, A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury and P R Das Munshi from Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur districts respectively in the north. The BJP is contesting 13 seats with an electoral adjustment with the Trinamool Congress. Its two Union Ministers Tapan Sikdar and Satya Brato Mukherjee are seeking re-election also from the two south Bengal districts of North 24 Parganas and Nadia respectively.
Perhaps this is the first time when glamour has been brought into West Bengal's electoral fray. The congress has nominated noted swimmer and Bollywood actress Nasifa Ali. She will take on the fiery Mamata Banerjee in the prestigious Kolkata south seat. Yesteryear's star Mousumi Chatterjee, who recently joined the Congress, will add fillip to the campaigning in Kolkata South and Kolkata North-East seats.
This is also the first time when largescale use of huge cut-outs of political personalities were introduced in the state. However, only the Trinamool Congress has adopted this method.
Bureau Report