Decode Politics: Abhishek Banerjee’s imprint on TMC’s Lok Sabha list, over half are first-timers

Former allrounder-batsman Yusuf Pathan will contest from the Berhampore seat, while Rachana Banerjee will contest from the Hooghly seat. (Express photos by Partha Paul)

The list, among other things, illustrates the impact of TMC number two and Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, with many leaders believed to be close to him getting a ticket.

Who are the big names among newcomers?

Apart from Pathan and Rachana, the other big names on the TMC list are actor-turned-politician Saayoni Ghosh who replaces actor-turned-MP Mimi Chakraborty in Jadavpur. She will take on BJP national executive committee member Anirban Ganguly. TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya will contest from Tamluk while Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik, the TMC’s face in the tea belt in north Bengal who was sent to the Upper House of Parliament last year, will be in the fray from the Alipurduars constituency.

In North Bengal, the other interesting names are MLAs Jagadishchandra Basunia and Nirmal Chandra Roy who have received tickets from Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar respectively. Former civil servant Gopal Lama who has served in the administrative services in the Darjeeling Hills has been fielded from Darjeeling.

Among the other first-time candidates from SC-reserved constituencies are Mitali Bag (Arambagh), Dr Sharmila Sarkar (Bardhaman Purba), and Bapi Halder (Mathurapur), Mukut Mani Adhikari (Ranaghat), and Sujata Mondal (Bishnupur). On Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari’s home turf Kanthi, Uttam Barik will take on Suvendu’s brother Soumendu. The party has fielded noted academic Shahnawaz Ali Raihan from Malda Dakshin and IPS officer Prasun Banerjee, whose resignation from the services was accepted by the government on Saturday, from Malda Uttar.

What role did Abhishek Banerjee play?

Abhishek Banerjee read out the list at the rally and several of the candidates, according to party insiders, are close to him. Among them are Debangshu Bhattacharya, Saayoni Ghosh, Shahnawaz Ali Raihan, and Partha Bhowmik who has replaced Arjun Singh in Barrackpore.

“In this list, the impact of Abhishek Banerjee is clear,” said a senior TMC leader. “Almost all new faces, especially those who emerged from the organisation, are Abhishek’s choice.”

But given it is still Mamata who has the final say several leaders of the old guard such as Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Kolkata Uttar), Saugata Roy (Dum Dum), Kalyan Banerjee (Serampore) and Mala Roy (Kolkata Dakshin) have managed to find space in the list. Since the TMC’s victory in the 2021 Assembly elections, there has been tension between the party’s old guard and the new faces led by Abhishek. Recently, both Sudip Banopahyay and Saugata Roy were at the centre of a controversy when a section of the party, including state secretary Kunal Ghosh, and MLA Tapas Roy, took aim at them over their age. Tapas Roy joined the BJP earlier this week.

Are there any former BJP leaders?

Among the seven TMC candidates who were once with the BJP are Shatrughan Sinha, who won from Patna Sahib in 2009 and 2014 on BJP tickets and will fight to retain Asansol; former Darbhanga MP Kirti Azad, the son of former Bihar CM Bhagwat Jha Azad, who is in the fray from Bardhaman-Durgapur; Raiganj MLA Krishna Kalyani who is contesting from Raiganj; Ranaghat Dakshin MLA Mukut Mani Adhikari from Ranaghat; Sujata Mondal who will take on her estranged husband and BJP’s Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan; former Bangaon Uttar MLA Biswajit Das who will contest from Bongaon Lok Sabha seat; and minister Biplab Mitra who is currently the MLA from Harirampur and will contest from Balurghat against state BJP president Sukanta Majumder.

Which MPs have been dropped?

The TMC has dropped five sitting MPs, including Basirhat MP Nusrat Jahan, Jadavpur MP Mimi Chakraborty, Choudhury Mohan Jatua who is the parliamentarian from Mathurapur, Arjun Singh, and Aparupa Poddar who is the Arambagh MP.

While Mimi had expressed a desire to quit politics and not contest this time, Sandeshkhali, where the TMC is on the defensive over the arrest of a former strongman, falls under Nusrat’s Basirhat constituency. Jatua, TMC insiders said, had not been considered because of his age, while Singh lost the ticket race because Bhowmik is considered close to Abhishek Banerjee. Aparupa Poddar too was dropped as the leadership had lost faith in her, according to party insiders. Last time, she had won the constituency by just 1,142 votes.

Responding to the list, BJP’s IT Cell chief and the party’s Bengal co-in-charge Amit Malviya said, “TMC list of candidates is such a damp squib. Seven of the 42 (17% of the names) in the list are former BJP, some discards. Shatrughan Sinha (Asansol), Kirti Azad (Bardhman-Durgapur), Krishna Kalyani (Raiganj), Mukut Mani Adhikari (Ranaghat), Sujata Mondal (Bishnupur), Biswajit Das (Bangaon), Biplab Mitra (Balurghat)⁠. The TMC doesn’t have enough candidates of its own? Of them, Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad and Yousuf Pathan are bohiragotos. TMC didn’t find enough sons of the soil to field?”