New Delhi, March 28 Top Congress leaders held detailed discussions on the party's candidates for the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections during a meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) here on Saturday.
A senior Congress leader said after the meeting that the party will contest all 294 assembly seats in the state, leaving none vacant.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, along with AICC general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal and leaders from West Bengal, attended the meeting.
Other prominent attendees included former West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and CEC members – Ambika Soni, Madhusudan Mistry, Salman Khurshid, T S Singhdeo, K J George, P L Punia and Amee Yajnik – besides AICC in-charge for West Bengal, Ghulam Ahmed Mir.
Speaking to reporters at the Congress headquarters, Mir said, "Today, a CEC meeting was held… and the candidature of all the candidates was discussed. All except eight candidates will be announced later tonight or early tomorrow morning."
Mir told reporters that the party has received 2,500 applications for the 294 assembly seats.
"We will contest all 294 assembly seats in West Bengal, leaving none vacant. This was the wish of our workers and rank and file in the state since the beginning. We have received 2,500 applications for these 294 seats," Mir said.
Regarding the Congress candidate for Bhawanipur – from where West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is contesting – Mir said the party views every worker as a potential leader.
"Every ordinary worker is also a big leader. Anyone who contests from Bhawanipur will be a big leader for us," he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that communal tensions are deliberately stoked ahead of elections, claiming a similar pattern to previous polls.
"Last time, to ensure that I lose, riots were planned. It was also said that there are 70 per cent Muslims and 30 per cent Hindus in Murshidabad and that if Muslims want, they can kill the 30 per cent Hindus and throw them in the Ganga River. We can sense the same thing happening again this time," he said.
Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that certain officials in West Bengal were transferred due to "doubtful credentials", Chowdhury said, "It seems Shah has become a spokesperson for the Election Commission".
West Bengal assembly elections are being held in two phases on April 23 and 29. The votes will be counted on May 4.