WB polls: Trinamool fields 45 women candidates; Mamata to contest from Kolkata

Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress will field 45 women candidates for the six-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal starting from April 4, the party said on Friday, hours after the Election Commission announced the poll dates.

Besides West Bengal, four other states Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will also go to polls in April and May.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee said she will contest from the Bhawanipur seat in South Kolkata.

In 2011, the party had 31 female candidates. The number has gone up to 45 this year. Prominent Trinamool women leaders Lakshmi Ratan Shukla and Vaishali Dalmiya will contest the polls from Howrah North and Bally respectively.

The model code of conduct comes into immediate effect in the poll bound states, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said.

Some 17 crore voters are likely to cast their ballots in these five states, he added.