BJP's first Bengal list out, Netaji nephew to take on Mamata

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday announced its first set of 52 candidates, including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose and former footballer Sasthi Duley, for the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls.

Bose's name was announced in New Delhi by union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani who said the 55-year-old would be the party candidate against Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Bhowanipore assembly constituency.

Asked whether Bose will be the party's chief ministerial candidate, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said: "It has not been decided but he will contesting against Mamata Banerjee."

Grandson of Netaji's elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose, Chandra Kumar on January 25 formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of its president Amit Shah at a public rally in Kolkata's neighbouring Howrah district.

The first list of candidates was decided during the BJP's central election committee meeting at the national capital that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah among others.

The list of 52 candidates has five women including actress Locket Chatterjee who would contest from Mayureswar in Birbhum district.

While BJP's Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh would contest from Kharagpur Sadar in West Midnapore district, former footballer Duley is in the fray from Dhanekhali in Hooghly district.