In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the TMC won 22 seats (File)
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy expressed confidence ahead of the upcoming general elections and said that he will try his best to win for the fourth time after his candidature was announced from Dum Dum on Sunday.
TMC MP Saugata Roy said, "Every election is a challenge. We have to go to the people. I have won three times from here (Dum Dum) and will try my best to win for the fourth time."
Abandoning the Mallikarjun Kharge-led INDIA bloc, Trinamool Congress on Sunday announced its candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal for the upcoming general elections.
Giving a message of TMC going solo in the Lok Sabha polls, party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee announced the list that included certain surprises from former cricketers Yusuf Pathan from Berhampore and Kirti Azad from the Bardhaman Durgapur Lok Sabha seat.
Sukanta Majumdar, the President of the West Bengal BJP, raised questions about TMC's decision to field Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad.
"Just half an hour before the TMC's list was announced, Abhishek Banerjee was making statements like BJP is anti-Bengal. Now, when the candidates are announced, it's clear that TMC is bringing people from outside. I don't know if Kirti Azad and Yusuf Pathan are Bengali, Yusuf Pathan is from Gujarat, and so is PM Modi, but for them, PM Modi is an outsider," he said.
The list was announced by Abhishek Banerjee at Brigade Parade ground on Sunday.
Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from Diamond Harbour.
Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from Lok Sabha in the Winter session last year has been given a ticket from Krishnanagar constituency.
Meanwhile, Mukut Mani Adhikari who recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party has also been given a ticket from Ranaghat Lok Sabha seat.
Shatrughan Sinha is set to again contest from Asansol, a seat he had won earlier in 2022 bypoll.
TMC has fielded Jagadish C Basuniya from Cooch Behar, Prakash Chik Baraik from Alipurduar, Nirmal Ch Roy from Jalpaiguri, Gopal Lama from Darjeeling.
Krishna Kalyani has been fielded from Raiganj whereas Biplab Mitra and Prasun Banerjee will contest from Balurghat and Malda Uttar respectively.
On the announcement of the candidates, Trinamool Congress said that the ruling party in Bengal will stand with the common people as part of its committment.
"Under the leadership of Chairperson @MamataOfficial, we're pleased to announce the names of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. We are steadfast in our commitment to stand by the common people against the deprivation of the Central Govt. When it comes to confronting the @BJP4India jomidars head-on and responding in the language they understand best, the Twin Flower is people's only choice!," TMC posted on X.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was also sharing the stage when the list was released, asserted that her party will contest elections in multiple states in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
"TMC will contest the election against BJP, Congress, and CPM in West Bengal. TMC will fight alone here in Bengal. TMC will also fight in Assam, Uttar Pradesh. For one seat, there has been a discussion with Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav. We will also fight in Meghalaya," she said.
The Trinamool Congress kicked off the campaign for the upcoming elections through its show of strength.
In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the TMC won 22 seats while the BJP sprung a major surprise, winning 18 seats.
The Congress won the remaining two seats. In 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic (NDA) won a total of 303 seats, leaving the grand-old party behind at 52 seats.
The Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held in April-May this year.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)