Trinamool has fielded cricketer Yusuf Pathan from the Baharampur seat.
Former Team India cricketer Yusuf Pathan has been named as the Trinamool Congress candidate from Baharampur, a seat historically held by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury, who has represented the constituency five times, is expected to seek reelection despite the Congress yet to announce its candidates for Bengal.
Today, Mamata Banerjee’s party declared its candidates for all 42 seats in Bengal, solidifying the absence of any alliance with non-BJP parties in the state.
Although Congress and Trinamool are nominally part of the INDIA alliance, there hasn’t been a consensus on a seat-sharing strategy in Bengal. Trinamool reportedly offered Baharampur and another seat to Congress, but the latter opted to pursue a solo campaign after pressing for a larger share of seats.
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In response, Congress reiterated its desire for a fair seat-sharing agreement with Trinamool in West Bengal. “Such agreements should be finalized through negotiations, not unilateral announcements. The Indian National Congress has always advocated for the INDIA group to combat the BJP collectively,” remarked senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
Trinamool’s decision to field a prominent figure like Pathan from Chowdhury’s stronghold is interpreted as a direct response to Chowdhury’s persistent criticisms of the party.
Chowdhury, known for his staunch opposition to Trinamool, had previously stated that his party “won’t plead for seats from the TMC” and accused the INDIA partner of “serving Prime Minister Narendra Modi” rather than strengthening the opposition coalition. In retaliation, Trinamool emphasized that “criticizing alliance partners and negotiating seat sharing cannot coexist.”
