The Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in West Bengal, made significant changes to its candidate lineup for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, notably dropping MP Nusrat Jahan from contention for the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat amidst the Sandeshkhali controversy. In her place, the party has nominated Nurul Islam, currently representing the Haroa constituency. Additionally, the party has awarded a ticket to expelled MP Mahua Moitra for the Krishnanagar constituency.
This decision was part of the Trinamool Congress's announcement of its list of 42 candidates for the state elections, a roster that includes notable figures such as former cricketer Yousuf Pathan for the Baharampur seat, Shatrughan Sinha for Asansol, and Kirti Azad for Durgapur. Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee revealed these names during a rally at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground.
The move regarding Nusrat Jahan comes following weeks of criticism aimed at her for failing to visit Sandeshkhali despite allegations of systematic sexual exploitation by Trinamool members in the region, which falls under the Basirhat constituency. This criticism was amplified by a social media post from the BJP, accusing Nusrat Jahan of prioritizing social media activities over addressing the grave situation in Sandeshkhali. In response, Nusrat Jahan urged against politicizing the issue and emphasized her commitment to serving her constituents during times of both joy and distress.
On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress's decision to field Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the MP position in December 2023 due to the 'cash-for-query' case, indicates a strategic move. Moitra has been nominated for the Krishnanagar seat, where she will face competition from Congress candidate Biswajit Chakraborty. Notably, the Delhi High Court recently dismissed a petition filed by Moitra seeking to restrain BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai from posting allegedly defamatory content related to the case, citing insufficient disclosure on Moitra's part.
