Kolkata: The Shiv Sena claimed that the ruling party is now an extended part of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and announced that it would contest 15 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.
This is for the first time that Shiv Sena is contesting Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal. Earlier in 2016 state assembly election, the Shiv Sena had contested 18 seats but failed to influence.
Shiv Sena’s state general secretary Ashok Sarkar stated that “Today we announced candidates for 11 seats. Within a few days, we will declare candidates in four more seats. The BJP leadership in Bengal can never fight the TMC. That is why Shiv Sena has entered the fray.”
He further added that “All the tainted leaders of the TMC have joined the BJP making it an extended part of the ruling party.” In recent times, several sitting MPs and an MLA of the TMC have joined the BJP.
As of now, Shiv Sena announced its candidates from North Kolkata, Contai, Midnapur, Purulia, Tamluk, Barasat, Bankura, Bishnupur, Barrackpore, North Malda and Jadavpur.
Shiv Sena’s state general secretary Ashok Sarkar asserted that he would be contesting Midnapur Lok Sabha seat against the BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and the TMC’s Manas Bhunia.
West Bengal polling will be held from April 11 to May 19 in seven phases and the results will be declared on May 23.