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A time aft the Trinamool Congress announced candidates for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls, discontent surfaced among respective elder enactment leaders who were denied a ticket.
Protests erupted astatine Amdanga successful the State’s North 24 Parganas connected Wednesday (March 18, 2026) aft supporters of three-time MLA from Amdanga, Rafiqur Rahaman, were denied a ticket. His supporters blocked roads and burnt tyres portion Mr. Rahaman urged the enactment enactment to reconsider their decision.
The Trinamool Congress has replaced the MLA with Peerzada Kasem Siddiqui, who hails from a household of spiritual leaders from Furfura successful southbound Bengal.
Protest erupted astatine Jibantala successful Canning Purba Assembly spot successful South 24 Parganas aft the enactment decided to tract sitting MLA Saokat Molla from the Bhangar Assembly spot successful the aforesaid district. Mr. Molla, an influential leader, wants to contention from Canning Purba. His supporters blocked roads by burning tyres astatine Jibantala. Bhangar was won by the Indian Secular Front (ISF) successful the 2021 Assembly polls.
In the database of candidates announced connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026), Trinamool Congress has dropped astir 74 legislators and shifted different 15 MLAs to antithetic constituencies. Several elder MLAs of the enactment expressed their anguish and said that they volition spell into governmental retirement.
Senior Trinamool MLA Asit Majumdar has been denied a summons from Chinsurah and the enactment named Debangshu Bhattacharya arsenic the campaigner from the spot instead. Mr. Majumdar, who looked visibly upset, said that helium has reached retired to Trinamool wide caput Abhishek Banerjee implicit the development, and added that helium was considering governmental retirement.
Among the MLAs who person been dropped is Tajmul Hossain from Harischandrapur constituency successful Malda district. Mr. Hossain, who is simply a Minister successful the outgoing Cabinet, said that helium has been “betrayed” by the party.
Protests were besides reported from Islampur, wherever elder MLA Abdul Karim Chowdhury was dropped. Veteran Dalit writer Manoranjan Bypari, whose sanction did not diagnostic astatine the Balagarh Assembly spot successful Hooghly, said that helium indispensable beryllium lacking something.
The elections to the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly volition beryllium held successful 2 phases — connected April 23 and 29. Votes volition beryllium counted connected May 4.
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Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress main Mamata Banerjee, portion announcing the names of candidates connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026), sensed the discontent. “Not each names could beryllium included successful the campaigner list. I volition effort to accommodate them successful immoderate different posts and allot them immoderate different tasks. They shouldn’t misunderstand me. Because successful each election, immoderate caller faces request to beryllium brought in,” she had said.
There were protests by BJP workers connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026) astatine Alipurduar against the information of Paritosh Das arsenic the candidate. CPI(M) workers connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026) ransacked a enactment bureau successful Kaliganj, aft the enactment nominated Sabina Yasmin, parent of nine-year-old Tamanna Khatun who was killed successful governmental unit successful 2025 astatine Kaliganj.
