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Former BJP MP Dilip Ghosh has returned to contest from the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency, a seat he won in the 2016 Assembly elections, as the party released its first list of 144 candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Speaking to the reporters, Dilip Ghosh said that the party aims to gain more votes than in the last assembly elections. "The party felt I should be made the candidate, so it made the announcement. As party workers, we have to follow this and win the election... We aim to win with more votes than the BJP got last time," he said. Dilip Ghosh is a prominent BJP face in West Bengal politics. He has served as the BJP state president from 2015 to 2021. He was elected as MP from Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 general elections. Ghosh, who has deep ties with RSS, made his electoral debut in 2016, winning the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency. The West Bengal election is likely to see another face-off between the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as he will contest from Bhabanipur, the constituency currently represented by the TMC chief. The BJP has also fielded him from Nandigram, where he defeated Mamata Banerjee in 2021. Polling in the State is set to be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with the counting of votes for both phases to be conducted on May 4, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul will contest from Asansol Dakshin, actor-turned-politician Rudranil Ghosh is set to run from Shibpur, and BJP MLA Bankim Chandra Ghosh will contest from Chakdaha. West Bengal has 294 Assembly seats, and the party is expected to announce the remaining candidates soon. As per the ECI, the first phase covering 152 Assembly constituencies will begin with the issuance of the gazette notification on March 30, 2026. The last date for filing nominations for this phase is April 6, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 7. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until April 9. Polling for the first phase will be held on April 23. For the second phase, which covers 142 Assembly constituencies, the gazette notification will be issued on April 2, 2026. The last date for filing nominations is April 9, and the scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 10. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 13. Voting for this phase is scheduled for April 29. (ANI)
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