Out of the 26 sitting MPs, the CPI(M) has re-nominated 20 of them for the general elections. Even seven-time or eight-time MPs like Basudev Achariya and Rupchand Pal were allocated party tickets. According to a primary estimate, the average age of the Marxist candidates is between 60 and 70 years, a contrast to the current voters’ list where the majority is from the 18 to 35 age group.

The ruling party, however, dropped sitting MPs like Minati Sen (Jalpaiguri), Rupchand Murmu (Jhargram), Nikhilananda Sar (Burdwan) and Sunil Khan (Durgapur). A new candidate was nominated in Mathurapur constituency and the sitting MP of the area Basudeb Burman was shifted to Ranaghat (SC) seat.

Even though Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee himself had snubbed Marxist strongman in East Midnapore Laxman Seth following the Nandigram fiasco, the party chose to re-nominate him for Tamluk constituency.

Announcing the list, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said: “We know this is a tough election for us, but we have past experience to contest such elections. Not only the TMC and the Congress, there are other forces who have joined hands with them against us.”

CPI(M) Kolkata district leader Rabin Deb, known for his organisational skills, has been pitted again against Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee from the Kolkata (south) constituency.

Murshidabad district CPI(M) leader and chairman of Jangipur Municipality Mriganko Bhattacharjee will contest against West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee at Jangipur.

CPI stalwart and sitting MP from Panskura Gurudas Dasgupta will contest from Ghatal constituency which was formed after delimitation in place of Pashkura.

Deputy leader of CPI(M) in 14th Lok Sabha Md. Selim was re-nominated from the Kolkata (North) constituency.

While big brother CPI(M) has failed to nominate young candidates, three of RSP’s four candidates are new faces.

Both the RSP and Forward Bloc have dropped sitting MPs. The Forward Bloc changed its Barasat sitting MP Subrata Bose who was replaced by Sudin Chatterjee, a known face in CPI(M) headquarters at Alimuddin Street.

As was expected, the list does not carry Somnath Chatterjee’s name. In place of the former speaker, CPI(M) candidate Ram Chandra Dome will contest the elections from Bolpur, which was declared a reserved constituency after delimitation.