Mamata Banerjee likely to release first list of TMC candidates for West Bengal assembly election 2021

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee is likely to release the first list of candidates for the upcoming West Bengal assembly election 2021 on Monday.

Mamata Banerjee is due to meet RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly constituency, in the morning. After that, the Chief Minister will sit with the members of TMC's election committee around 12.30 PM. It is expected that she may announce the first list of TMC candidates for the West Bengal assembly election 2021 around 5 pm. 

It may be recalled that the Election Commission of India has last week announced that the assembly elections in the state will be held in eight phases, beginning from March 27 and ending on April 29. The results will be announced on May 2. 

Addressing a press conference on Friday, the Chief Election Commissioner of India,  Sunil Arora announced the schedule for assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry. The counting of votes for all five assembly elections will take place on May 2 said the Election Commission (EC). 

The terms of legislative assemblies of four states -- Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and West Bengal -- are coming to an end in May and June. In Puducherry, President's Rule has been imposed and the assembly kept under suspended animation after the V Narayanasamy-led Congress government resigned earlier this week ahead of a vote of confidence.

In West Bengal, the assembly election in the Trinamool Congress-led state will be held in eight phases. The voting for phase 1 for 30 constituencies will take place on March 27, voting for phase 2 for 30 constituencies will be held on April 1. The polling for phase 3 for 31 seats will take place on April 6, for phase 4 for 44 constituencies on April 10, for phase 5 for 45 constituencies on April 17, for phase 6 for 43 constituencies on April 22, for phase 7 for 36 constituencies on April 26 and for phase 8 for 35 constituencies on April 29.

In Assam, the assembly poll in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6. In Tamil Nadu, assembly elections to be conducted in a single phase on April 6. Voting for Kerala assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 6.

In Puducherry, single-phase voting for Puducherry assembly elections will be held on April 6.