Congress releases list of 26 candidates in Maharashtra, Bengal, fields Sanjay Nirupam from Mumbai North-West

The Congress on Monday released its eleventh list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The list includes 26 names -- one for Maharashtra and remaining 25 for West Bengal. 

The party has fielded Sanjay Nirupam from Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha seat. The announcement came as he was replaced by Milind Deora as the Mumbai Congress Committee chief. 

 

Congress party releases a list of 26 candidates in Maharashtra and West Bengal for #LokSabhaElections2019 . Sanjay Nirupam to contest from Mumbai North-West (Maharashtra). pic.twitter.com/Ddlo22ibuS

— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2019

Mohammad Alam from Barrackpore, Mita Chakraborty from Kolkata Dakshin, Suvra Ghosh from Howrah, and Pratul Saha from Hooghly were among those named in the list.

With this, the party has announced a total of 253 candidates so far.

The Congress also named four candidates for assembly polls in Odisha.

Biren Senapati replaced Muktikant Biswal from the Rourkela assembly constituency in Odisha, while Shambunath Panigrahi replaced Ram Krishna Panda from the Hinjili assembly seat.

In Maharashtra, the Congress has forged alliance with Sharad Yadav's NCP and several smaller parties like Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Bahujan Vikas Agadhi, three factions of the RPI led by Jogendra Kawade, Rajendra Gavai and Khobragade group, Loktantrik Janata Dal's Kapil Patil, independent MLA Ravi Rana's local outfit in Amravati are supporting of the smaller parties supporting the Congress-NCP. 

Both the parties will contest 23 seats each and leave two for allies. Congress has so far announced candidates for 13 seats and NCP for 16 seats.

In West Bengal, the Congress alled off its alliance with Left Front. The party has now decided to contest all 42 seats in the state. 

West Bengal will have polling in all seven phases of the elections which begin on April 11 and conclude on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.