Kolkata: Bengal BJP on Tuesday published its fourth list of nominations for 13 assembly constituencies, leaving candidates in six out of 294 seats yet to be announced for the forthcoming polls.The party fielded Union minister Shantanu Thakur’s wife Soma Thakur from Matua-dominated Bagdah and former Congress neta Santosh Pathak from Chowringhee, dropped incumbent Natabari MLA Mihir Goswami, replaced its Maynaguri candidate and nominated former IPS officer Debashis Dhar from Sonarpur North.After Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association neta Bangshibadan Barman joined BJP last week, raising political speculation about his future, the party on Tuesday nominated two functionaries of the Greater Cooch Behar movement — Girija Shankar Roy (Natabari) and Asutosh Barma (Sitai). Girija joined BJP along with Barman.While leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari had said that Barman — chairman of the Rajbanshi Development and Cultural Board — would not contest the polls, BJP has tried to further consolidate its Rajbanshi and Scheduled Caste votebank in north Bengal with the fresh names. Barma’s nomination came as a surprise even to a section of party workers.In Chowringhee, BJP netas kept faith on Pathak, who switched sides just a week back. Pathak, a four-time councillor from ward 45 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, fought from the seat on a Congress ticket in 2021. “I received offers from Trinamool earlier too. Sovon Chatterjee and Sudip Banerjee asked me to join the party multiple times. But I was disillusioned with Trinamool and BJP is the only force in Bengal which can dislodge them,” Pathak said.Dhar, who was fielded from Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency in 2024, had his nomination cancelled during scrutiny. He had failed to produce a “no dues certificate”. BJP nominated journalist Manab Guha from Memari constituency.The saffron party changed its Maynaguri candidate, Kaushik Roy, and nominated Dalim Roy in the fourth list. After Kaushik’s name was announced, a section of workers protested against it. “BJP follows a democratic structure. The candidate from Maynaguri was changed after the leadership felt it would be good for the people,” Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said.Shah likely to be present during Suvendu nomination filing for Bhowanipore seatUnion home minister Amit Shah is scheduled to remain present during Suvendu Adhikari’s nomination submission for Bhowanipore seat on Thursday. Shah is scheduled to reach Kolkata on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Adhikari on Tuesday alleged that phones of Bengal BJP netas were being tapped and reported the same with the Election Commission.
