Big bang of Congress in Mamta’s stronghold! List of 284 candidates released, direct challenge to Didi in Bhawanipur

Kolkata: There was an uproar in the politics of West Bengal today when Congress released the first list of its candidates for the upcoming assembly elections 2026. This time, Congress has adopted a very aggressive strategy to breach the impenetrable fort of ‘Didi’ i.e. Mamata Banerjee. The party has simultaneously announced the names of candidates for 284 out of 294 seats in the state, which makes it clear that this time the contest is going to be triangular and very interesting.

Congress’s ‘Prasad’ against Mamata Banerjee

The most surprising name in this list is that of Bhawanipur seat. Congress won from Bhawanipur, considered the traditional and strongest seat of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Pradeep Prasad Has been fielded. By fielding Pradeep Prasad in the electoral battle, Congress has given a direct indication of cornering Mamata Banerjee in her own house. In political circles, this decision is being considered as a ‘masterstroke’ of Congress.

Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary himself entered the field

The biggest face and veteran leader of Congress in West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary This time too he will be seen fighting in the election field. The party has made him a candidate from his old birthplace Baharampur seat. Being an experienced leader, due to the presence of Adhir Ranjan, huge enthusiasm is being seen among the Congress workers. His entry has made it clear that this time Congress is in a mood to fight not only for Khanapurthi but also for a tough fight on the ground.

Bets on big names and new strategy

Congress has given place to prominent faces on many important seats in the state. Madhav Rai from Darjeeling, Abdul Hannan from Sujapur and Sushmita Biswas from Dumdum have been given tickets. Gautam Bhattacharya will contest from the high-profile seat Diamond Harbour. Souvik Mukherjee from Asansol South and Prosenjit Puitandi from Asansol North have been given command. Apart from this, the party has tried to strengthen its hold in North Bengal by fielding former MP Mausam Noor from Maltipur seat.

Big risk of contesting elections alone

This time Congress won all 294 seats without forming an alliance with any regional party. contest elections alone Have taken a bold decision. Political experts believe that this strategy is a ‘do or die’ situation for the Congress. If the party manages to make a dent in even a few seats, it could prove to be the turning point for a major comeback of Congress in Bengal politics.

High-level meeting of Rahul-Kharge in Delhi

Before the final selection of candidates, a marathon meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress was held in Delhi. Congress President in this meeting Mallikarjun Kharge And Rahul Gandhi He himself reviewed each seat. The meeting also included stalwarts like KC Venugopal, Ambika Soni and Salman Khurshid, who approved the names keeping in mind the political equations of Bengal. Now it remains to be seen how successful this ‘plan’ of Congress is in front of the strong organization of Mamata Banerjee.