KMC polls: TMC likely to announce candidates' list today

KOLKATA: With the state Election Commission announcing the date of polls for Kolkata Municipal Corporation on December 19, Trinamool Congress (TMC) is likely to announce its list of candidates on Friday.

Meanwhile, Biman Bose, Left Front chairman, said on Thursday the party would announce the list of candidates on Friday except for 16 seats. However, it is not clear yet whether Congress and CPI(M) will fight the civic election jointly. Political experts opined that the alliance between the two parties had proven disastrous so far.

Sources in TMC said the party would drop aged and ineffective councillors from its list. Sources claimed that the party would give more importance to newcomers and women candidates. Sons and daughters of some MLAs, who have been into politics for quite some time, are likely to get nominated.

Five ward coordinators have expired of which four were from Trinamool and one from BJP. They are Aparajita Dasgupta (ward 49), Sukhdeb Chakraborty (ward 69), Manick Chattopadhyay (ward 121) and Indrajit Bhattacharya (ward 143). Tista Biswas, the coordinator of ward 86, died in a road accident recently.

It was learnt that the party was going to field new candidates in some wards, where the existing coordinators had been suffering from illness. Satyen Dey, the ward coordinator of 48, is likely to be replaced. Arun Dey and Iqbal Ahmed, ward coordinators of 62 and 67 respectively, have been suffering from prolonged illness. Also, Bijanlal Mukhopadhyay and Ram Peyare Ram, ward coordinators of 79 and 83, have been suffering from age-related illnesses. Manjushree Majumdar (ward 89), Mamata Majumdar (ward 100), Sushmita Dam (ward 126) and Shipra Ghatak are likely to be replaced.

Subrata Bakshi, state TMC president, said most deserving candidates would get tickets.