West Bengal Lok Sabha Elections: Sandeshkhali Victim, Ex-Judge Abhijit Ganguly Among Surprises in BJP List

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar paints the party’s symbol on a wall while campaigning for Lok Sabha elections, at Balurghat in South Dinajpur district on March 14, 2024. (PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released the candidate list for 19 seats in West Bengal for Lok Sabha elections 2024, fielding protestor Rekha Patra from the keenly watched Basirhat constituency under which falls the troubled Sandeshkhali area.

Patra, a housewife, is reportedly a victim of torture and harassment by now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. Her candidature is seen as a strong statement on the part of the BJP in support of the women of Sandeshkhali and West Bengal.

Speaking to News18, Patra said she would continue to fight for the women of Sandeshkhali. “I am thankful to Narendra Modi and the BJP for giving me a ticket. I will always stand by the women of Sandeshkhali and protest for them. I will be their voice,” she said.

Her nomination even triggered early Holi celebrations in Sandeshkhali on Sunday. “We are very happy that a woman from among us who spoke and stood against injustice will be leading us,” Subhankar, a local, told News18.

BJP leader Amit Malviya said Patra’s candidature from Basirhat is a “strong statement” that the party “stands with the women of Sandeshkhali”.

Former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Ganguly, who joined the BJP recently, was nominated from the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat, a stronghold of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and his family.

Another highlight of the BJP list is the change in seat of former state unit president Dilip Ghosh from Medinipur to Burdwan Durgapur. The Medinipur ticket has instead been given to Agnimitra Paul. Sources said the party was looking for a “strong candidate” in Burdwan Durgapur after dropping SS Ahluwalia from the seat and hence zeroed in on Ghosh.

“I am a soldier of the party. I will work from wherever the party places me,” said Ghosh who will face off in the Burdwan Durgapur seat against TMC leader and former cricketer Kirti Azad.

In the prestigious Krishnanagar seat, the BJP has fielded Rajmata Amrita Roy, who belongs to the royal family of Krishnanagar, against TMC’s Mahua Moitra. With her candidature, the saffron party hopes to invoke the public’s sentiment for the royal of Rajbari.

In setback to former bureaucrat Harshvardhan Shringla, the Darjeeling ticket has gone to Raju Bista, making local BJP workers a happy camp.

Turncoat Arjun Singh, meanwhile, has been given the Barrackpur ticket, while Tapas Roy will contest from North Kolkata.

Arjun Singh had contested from Barrackpur in 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket after quitting the TMC at being denied a ticket. He had won the election, but soon returned to the TMC. In a repeat performance, he quit the TMC again and joined the BJP recently. He will contest the Barrackpur election against Partha Bhowmick of the TMC.

Another leader who joined from the TMC, Tapas Roy will contest from North Kolkata against archrival Sudip Banerjee.

Reacting to the list, TMC leader Derek O’Brien taunted the BJP on the four seats for which it is yet to declare candidates. “@MamataOfficial @abhishekaitc and the people of Bengal will show these braggarts their place,” he said.

With the 19 candidates declared on Sunday, the total number of BJP nominees announced for West Bengal so far is 38. The state sends 42 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The four seats for which the BJP is yet to declare candidates are Diamond Harbour, the constituency of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee; Asansol from where Pawan Singh withdrew his candidature; Birbhum, where the party may field an IPS officer; and Jhargram.

West Bengal will vote in Lok Sabha elections 2024 in seven phases between April 19 and June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.