LF names candidates for Basirhat, Diamond Harbour, 3 more seats; ex-Sandeshkhali MLA gets ticket

The Left Front on Friday nominated former Sandeshkhali MLA Nirapada Sardar as the CPI(M) candidate from the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal, while the party's Pratik Ur Rahaman will take on TMC's Abhishek Banerjee in Diamond Harbour.

Releasing the front's another list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, LF chairman Biman Bose also announced its nominees for three more constituencies, taking the total number to 28.

The front also announced the candidature of Prabir Ghosh of Forward Bloc from Barasat, Tapan Ganguly of CPI from Ghatal and Debdoot Ghosh of CPI(M) from Barrackpore.

Sardar, the former CPI(M) MLA, had been arrested by the state police over allegations of violent protests in Sandeshkhali and was released on bail granted by the Calcutta High Court.

The Sandeshkhali assembly segment, from where Sardar had won in the 2011 state polls but lost in 2016, is situated within the Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency in North 24 Parganas district.

Sandeshkhali was rocked by protests in February over allegations of sexual atrocities and land grabbing by goons owing allegiance to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Following a meeting of the front, Bose announced the name of student leader Rahaman as the CPI(M) candidate from Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, where TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is contesting to win for a third consecutive term.

The LF, in alliance with the Congress, is set to fight the Lok Sabha elections to the 42 seats in the state. The front earlier announced the names of 23 candidates, including that of CPI(M)'s West Bengal state secretary and politburo member Mohammad Salim from Murshidabad.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)