Ex-team India cricketer Yusuf Pathan to fight elections on Trinamool Congress ticket

New Delhi, Mar 10: Trinamool Congress made a big announcement on Sunday during a massive rally in Kolkata, revealing its list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Among the notable names featured in the list is former Team India cricketer Yusuf Pathan, who will be contesting from the Baharampur constituency.

Yusuf Pathan's entry into politics marks a significant development, with the Trinamool Congress banking on his popularity to secure victory in Baharampur, currently held by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

While Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the constituency, speculation suggests that Chowdhury may seek re-election.

The announcement comes amidst strained relations between Trinamool Congress and Congress, both part of the INDIA bloc aiming to challenge the ruling BJP in the elections. Talks of seat-sharing between the two parties fell through creases leading to Trinamool's decision to go ahead with its own candidates.

Trinamool's list of candidates also saw the exclusion of eight sitting MPs, with fresh faces like former cricketer Kirti Azad joining the fray. The party strategically nominated Yusuf Pathan from Baharampur, seen as a response to Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's criticisms of Trinamool.

In Basirhat, former MP Haji Nurul Islam has been nominated, replacing sitting MP Nusrat Jahan. Additionally, expelled Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra has been renominated from the Krishnanagar seat.

Mamata Banerjee's absence from Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passing through Bengal further underscores the rift within the INDIA bloc.

With the stage set for a fiercely contested Lok Sabha elections in Bengal, all eyes are now on the candidates as they gear up for the electoral battle ahead.

Challenges and Setbacks in Congress-Trinamool Alliance within the INDIA Bloc

The Congress is yet to announce its candidates. The Congress and Trinamool Congress are part of the INDIA bloc—an alliance of opposition parties formed to challenge the BJP in the upcoming election. It has encountered a setback in their discussions in West Bengal.  Congress leader Jairam Ramesh emphasized the party's eagerness for a fair seat-sharing agreement with TMC in West Bengal, insisting on negotiations rather than unilateral decisions.

Ramesh reiterated the Congress's commitment to unity within the INDIA bloc, stressing the importance of collective action against the BJP. However, Mamata Banerjee's absence from Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Bengal further strained the alliance's optics, leaving the INDIA bloc vulnerable to political attacks from the BJP over perceived discord within the Opposition.