The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday unveiled a candidate list for the Assembly polls that had the look of a survival kit aimed at beating back 15 years of accrued anti-incumbency, axing 74 sitting MLAs, relocating 15 others and injecting new blood while not alienating the old guard.
By dropping so many sitting MLAs — the figure was 28 in 2021 — chief minister Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee appeared to be sending across a message to the party rank and file — perform or perish.
As many as 13 candidates joined Trinamool only hours before the list was announced at a media conference by Mamata and Abhishek.
While Mamata announced the first few names, the remaining were read out by her nephew. A source close to Abhishek said the choice of candidates was a nod to his policy of “relentless performance evaluation” which values contribution more than personal rapport.
The Trinamul list has an eclectic mix of students, teachers, journalists and organisational workhorses.
Before the names were announced, Mamata unleashed her wrath on the BJP and the poll panel, accusing chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s team of playing a “brilliant game from behind the clouds”. She also took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding to know why the Bengal executive was being hollowed out through the transfer of officers.
“Honourable Prime Minister, if you have respect for democracy, if you have confidence, then why are you repeatedly assaulting Bengal?” she said. “Remember, Bengal will also retaliate. Not even the moon, sun or the planets will forgive them.”
Trinamool’s focus on youth — the list has four candidates under 31, and 38 aged between 31 and 40 — contrasts the BJP’s reliance on a broad status quo and points to a future-ready party focused on today’s battle.
While the saffron camp has banked on existing networks, the Trinamool list blends the new and old, with 31 per cent of nominees falling in the 41-50 age bracket.
The list of benched MLAs includes high-profile party veterans and celluloid stars such as Manoranjan Byapari, Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, Sabitri Mitra, Tapan Dasgupta, Saumen Mahapatra and Chiranjit Chakraborty. The axe also fell on the “scam-tainted”, such as Partha Chatterjee, Manik Bhattacharya and Jibankrishna Saha. Even the outgoing ministerial council was not immune, with the likes of Manoj Tiwari, Biplab Roychowdhury and Jyotsna Mandi failing to make the cut.
Nor does the list have any surprise nominee from the film industry, a Trinamool trademark that many in the party feel Abhishek is not supportive of.
The new strategy also involves a “controlled relocation” of 15 sitting MLAs that will strip them of their local baggage and test their mettle anew. Saokat Molla has been shifted from his Canning Purba stronghold to the volatile Bhangar, former IPS officer Humayun Kabir has been moved from Debra to Domkal, and Ratna Chatterjee has been made to cross the Behala divide from Purbato Paschim.
To counter the wave of anti-incumbency and the BJP’s aggressive central machinery, the Trinamool leadership has relied on a data-driven report card prepared with I-Pac’s advice. Sources suggested that three names were vetted for every seat, and the leadership personally selected the final candidate. The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which showed the party’s grip loosening in urban and semi-urban pockets, clearly dictated the heavier casualties inthose belts.
The performers who have been rewarded include Debangshu Bhattacharya, Trinankur Bhattacharya and Kunal Ghosh — all Abhishek loyalists.
The candidate list also maintains a delicate social balance. There are 52 women candidates, 95 SC/ST representatives and 47 minority nominees.
In the hills, Mamata opted for a tactical retreat, leaving the three seats to ally Anit Thapa’s BGPM. However, in the plains, the battle remains visceral. Mamata and BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari are set for a fresh high-voltage confrontation in Bhabanipur, where the chief minister will defend her home turf against the Opposition leader.
Interacting with journalists, Mamata kept her focus on the Election Commission and the contentious SIR, which she described as a tool to disenfranchise Bengal voters under the guise of administrative revision.
“Now, they have taken away all the power from us. But one thing they cannot take away is manpower,” she said.
“Remember, all the officers are our officers. Even though elections have been announced, the government is still ours... we remain,” Mamata added. “We will win more than 226 seats in 2026. Boycott BJP, vote for Trinamool, vote for Bengal.”
