Kolkata Nov 27 PTI The Congress on Saturday announced names of poll candidates for 66 of the total 144 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation KMC and made it clear that the party will go it alone in the December 19 election in most of the wardsThis is the first list of contestants while the party will extend support to independent candidates in 22-25 seats to ensure the defeat of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP Congress state committee member Nepal Mahato told reportersTo a question he said The Left Front already announced candidates in several seats where our party is strong So we have decided to go ahead with this listThe Congress and the CPIM-headed Left Front had fought the assembly elections held in March-April this year togetherBut our priority will be to defeat both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP Mahato saidThe Congress has nominated at least two TMC councillors in the last KMC board who were denied tickets by the Mamata Banerjee-led partyThe Left Front on Friday released names of 114 nominees leaving 17 seats for the Congress and the ISF It will announce candidates in 13 wards later PTI SUS NN NN

Kolkata Nov 26 PTI The CPIM-led Left Front on Friday announced names of candidates for elections to the 144-ward Kolkata Municipal Corporation leaving out 17 seats where it intends to back anti-BJP and anti-TMC forces Unlike the last assembly elections it did not enter into any alliance with the Congress or the ISF The front first to come out with a list of nominees after the State Election Commission on Thursday notified the schedule for KMC elections has fielded 56 female candidates and 58 male Seventeen of its candidates are from the minority community Elections to the civic body will be held on December 19 We have decided to leave out some seats where our presence is limited and decided to support candidates from the Congress the ISF or eminent individuals if any Left Front Kolkata convenor Kallol Majumdar said addressing a press conference here Majumdar also pointed out that 50 per cent of the candidates are aged below 50 years He further asserted that the fronts present electoral tactical line envisages that the BJP is the main enemy and the TMC too must be defeated Majumdar maintained that Left Front will back anti-BJP and anti-TMC forces in places where they can pose a difficult challenge to the saffron camp or the states ruling party Fielding candidates in such places will only lead to division of votes among the forces that seek to defeat the BJP or the TMC he said Announcing names for 114 seats Majumdar a leader of the Left Front constituent CPIM said that nominees for 13 more seats will be announced in a day or two Earlier in the year the Left Front had fought the assembly elections in West Bengal in alliance with the Congress and the newly formed ISF The ISF managed to bag one constituency while the other two parties drew a blank PTI AMR RMS RMS

Kolkata Aug 31 PTI BJP MLA from Bagda Biswajit Das on Tuesday joined the TMC the third saffron party legislator to do so since the assembly poll results were declared in May Das a two-time MLA from the TMC had switched over to the BJP in 2019 He won from Bagda on a BJP ticket in the 2021 assembly polls I never felt very comfortable in the BJP I wanted to return to the TMC long ago The BJP has done nothing for Bengal It is a party of outsiders and an never understand the pulse of the people of the state he said after joining the party in presence of TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee Das said he had left the TMC in 2019 due to a misunderstanding There was some misunderstanding with the party TMC then It would have been better if I had not left the party But now it is like homecoming for me he said Welcoming Ghosh to the party fold Chatterjee who is also state industry minister said the BJP has been trying to take post-poll revenge against the TMC as it failed miserably in the assembly polls We will fight the BJP politically It is trying to belittle the people of West Bengal But the people of the state will not tolerate this he said On Monday another saffron camp legislator Tanmoy Ghosh returned to the TMC Ghosh a leader from Bishnupur had switched over to the BJP just ahead of the assembly polls Earlier in June BJP MLA and partys national vice-president Mukul Roy rejoined the TMC four years after he left the Mamata Banerjee-led party to join the saffron camp The BJP won 77 of the 292 seats of West Bengal assembly that were up for polls The Trinamool Congress won 213 seats while ISF and GJM bagged one seat each Bypolls are currently due in seven seats of the state All three turncoats -- Das Roy and Ghosh -- continue to be BJP MLAs officially According to TMC sources several saffron camp leaders are in touch with the TMC and are willing to switch over to the ruling party Reacting to the switchover of the MLAs in the last two days BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said those who have changed sides could actually never embrace his partys ideology and principles We welcomed everyone who was willing to fight against the TMC As we did not come to power they felt they should return to the TMC maybe It is up to them to decide which party they want to be a part of but after changing sides they should resign as BJP MLAs he added PTI PNT RMS RMS

Kolkata Aug 30 PTI Bishnupur MLA Tanmoy Ghosh joined the Trinamool Congress on Monday alleging that his BJP was indulging in vindictive politicsSpeaking to reporters Ghosh claimed that the BJP was also attempting to trigger chaos among the people of West Bengal because of which he joined the TMCI urge all to join the TMC for the welfare of West Bengal There is a need to strengthen the hands of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee he saidBJP is doing vindictive politics and attempting to create chaos among the people of the state Ghosh said adding that these were the reason for him to join the TMCHe had switched over to the BJP from TMC in March days ahead of the state elections Earlier he was the TMC Youth president of Bishnupur town in Bankura district and also a councillor of the local civic bodyWelcoming Ghosh to the party fold state Education Minister Bratya Basu said BJP is trying to take post-poll revenge against the TMCWe will fight the BJP politically It is also trying to belittle the people of West Bengal he saidBasu said many BJP leaders are in touch with the TMCWe appeal to all to join the TMC But who will be taken in will be decided by the party leadership he saidThe BJP won 77 of the 292 seats of West Bengal assembly that went to the polls The Trinamool Congress won 213 seats while ISF and GJM bagged one seat each Voting in Jangipur and Samserganj had to be postponed after the death of one candidate each in the two seatsBJP MLAs Nisith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar resigned to retain their Lok Sabha seats while Mukul Roy switched over to the TMC However Roy continues to be a BJP MLA officiallyBasu said BJP MLAs of Tripura are also in touch with the TMCWhen Mamata Banerjee steps in Tripura there will be a tsunami BJP leaders of that state are pretty aware of this he saidTripura under BJP has been transformed into a valley of fear Basu alleged PTI dc CORR SOM SOM