BJP fields Netaji's kin against Mamata Banerjee

After hours of deliberation at Delhi, the party could only manage to declare on Wednesday that Chandra Kumar Bose will be its candidate against Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.

Union minister Smriti Irani announced that Bose, grand-nephew of freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose, will contest from Bhawanipore in south Kolkata, the home seat of Mamata since 2011, after she relinquished her parliamentary seat to take up the office of Chief Minister. 

Bose, present at BJP’s Ashoka Road headquarters during the announcement, said, “The time has come to bring about change in West Bengal, which will be brought by BJP.” Bose, who did not directly respond to queries on his chances against  Banerjee, said, “This is not



my fight. This is the fight for development in West Bengal.” 

Party sources informed that the BJP central election committee, presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with party president Amit Shah and other senior leaders in attendance, met in the evening to decide on the candidates for Assembly elections to Assam and West Bengal.

The party is reportedly still debating the chances of making an impact in the Bengal polls, informed insiders.  While the party was expected to publish its list on Wednesday, sources said that state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and senior Bengal leaders are still discussing the merits of candidates with Shah. However, the list is not likely to be announced till Thursday.