Just one day before the last day of nomination, Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday evening announced the first list of candidates for the impending Tripura assembly elections.

Soon after announcement of first candidate list for 22 seats, the leaders of TMC including state in-charge Rajib Banerjee, state president Pijush Kanti Biswas and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev welcome the joining of senior Congress leader and former MLA Dilip Chowdhury, who has deserted the century old party after announcement of its candidate list.

While speaking in the press meet Rajib Banerjee said that after approval from the top leaders of TMC, they on Saturday announced the first list of candidates and there are possibilities of release of the second list of party candidates.

He said that TMC will give its all-out efforts to ensure the defeat of ‘fascistic’ BJP government and soon TMC’s chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee along with TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will arrive in the state on first week of February and will participate in campaign programme.

Banerjee also said that soon the second list with approval of high command will be released soon.

Speaking in the press meet, Pijush Kanti Biswas rubbishes allegations made by Congress that TMC is fighting the assembly elections as B-team of BJP and claimed that the poll alliance among Congress and CPI(M) will give mileage only to BJP. Over joining Subal Bhowmik into BJP, Biswas said that he was merely a member of TMC and it will not have any impact on their party.

Biswas also said that soon they will also release the poll manifesto and appeal to the people of the state to ensure the victory of TMC candidates to oust BJP.

As per the candidate list, TMC nominated Nihar Ranjan Sarkar from Bamutia assembly sesat, Pujan Biswas from Ramnagar, Nirmal Majumder from Majlishpur, Sutapa Ghosh from Kamalasagar, Haradhan Debnath from Bisahlgarh, Joydul Hossain from Boxanagar, Neel Kamal Saha from Sonamura, Habil Miah from Dhanpur, Rabi Chowdhury from Teliamura, Narendra Reang from Santirbazar, Kang Jari Mog from Jolaibari, Biplab Saha from Amarpur, Miltan Chakma from Kabrook, Suman Dey from Kamalpur, Arjun Namasudra from Surma, Chandan Mog from Chawmanu, Bidyut Bikas Sinha from Chandipur, Amdul Hasem from Kadamtala-Kurti, Bimal Nath from Bagmasa and Purnita Chakma from Pecharthal assembly constituency.