Lok Sabha Polls: Former Couple Set For Political Face Off In Bengal's Bishnupur

Bankura (West Bengal) [India]: The Bishnupur constituency of West Bengal's Bankura district will witness a face-off between former couple Sujata Mondal of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Saumitra Khan, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The TMC named Mondal as the candidate from Bishnupur on Sunday, while the BJP announced Khan's candidature for the seat earlier this month.

The couple got divorced in 2020 after Mondal joined politics as a member of the TMC in the run-up to the 2021 assembly elections.

Khan, a TMC defector, joined the BJP ahead of the 2019 elections.

TMC earlier on Sunday announced candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, abandoning the opposition coalition, INDIA bloc.

The list of candidates was released by TMC's general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, at the Brigade Parade Ground.

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 the Krishnanagar constituency. Mukut Mani Adhikari, who recently quit the BJP, has also been given a ticket from the Ranaghat Lok Sabha seat.

Shatrughan Sinha is set to again contest from Asansol, a seat he had won earlier in the 2022 bypoll.

TMC has fielded Jagadish C Basuniya from Cooch Behar, Prakash Chik Baraik from Alipurduar, Nirmal Ch Roy from Jalpaiguri, and 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, the TMC said that the ruling party in Bengal will stand with the common people as part of its commitment.

"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 said in a post on X.