Trinamool Congress party chief and Chief Minister of West Bengal state Mamata Banerjee, flashes victory sign.
Mamata Banerjee today announced a star-studded list of candidates for next month's national election. Former football player Bhaichung Bhutia will contest as the Trinamool Congress candidate from Darjeeling in West Bengal.
The Trinamool will contest all 42 seats of Bengal and also contest in Narendra Modi's Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar Ms Banerjee said. "There are many people from Gujarat in my state. I will go to Gujarat to campaign."
The list of Trinamool candidates includes Bengali film stars like Moon Moon Sen, Sandhya Roy and Dev, the newest sensation of Bengal cinema. Ms Sen, the daughter of legendary actor Suchitra Sen, will contest from the Bankura seat.
Also among the candidates is Sugata Bose, a history professor from Harvard and the son of former Trinamool parliamentarian Krishna Sen. He will contest from Jadavpur, which was Mamata Banerjee's seat in 1984.
"Doctors, lawyers, cultural artistes, sportsmen, politicians (in list). One in four a woman," tweeted Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien.
Mamata Banerjee has retained most of her parliamentarians. Her nephew Abhishek Banerjee will contest from Diamond Harbour.
"Trinamool will be the third largest party in the country," she declared, accusing the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP of working in cahoots in Bengal.
Asked about her prime ministerial prospects, the Chief Minister said, "I am not an astrologer. The people will decide."
She said she would announce more candidates from other parts of the country on Anna Hazare's recommendation.
The Gandhian activist had recently announced his support for Mamata Banerjee, saying he found her quite unlike any other politician, including his former protege Arvind Kejriwal.