BJP says Mamata’s party doesn’t have Bengali candidates after TMC names Yusuf Pathan, Kirti Azad as LS candidates

Hours after Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced its list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) West Bengal state president Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday said the Mamata Banerjee’s party is bringing people from outside to fight the election as it doesn’t have Bengali candidates.

The TMC’s list of Lok Sabha candidates include former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad.

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The TMC on Sunday announced 42 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan has been fielded from Behrampore. He will be pitted against Congress heavyweight Adhir Chowdhury.

Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee will contest from Diamond Harbour, while expelled Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra has been fielded from Krishnanagar.

“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... They (TMC) don't have any candidates and hence they've given the ticket to a sitting minister,” said Majumdar.

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The announcement of candidates by the TMC has also put to rest all lingering hopes of a seat-sharing pact with the Congress in the state.

“INDI alliance is nothing but a ship without a captain. It's CM Mamata Banerjee's strategy and also she is in fear that no other leader gets much importance that one can become a bigger leader than Mamata Banerjee & Abhishek Banerjee, hence they give tickets to actresses so that her nephew continues to be a politician...,” Majumdar also said.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the TMC had won 22 seats while the BJP got 18 seats. The Congress won the remaining 2 seats.

The Lok Sabha polls are likely to be held in April-May this year.