TMC replaces Habibpur candidate citing ill health in Bengal

Three days after fielding Sarla Murmu from the Habibpur constituency for the West Bengal assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced that the party is changing its candidate from the constituency, citing the candidate's "ill health". The party has named Pradip Bhasker as the new candidate from the Habibpur seat.In a statement on Monday, the Trinamool Congress said, "All India Trinamool Congress would like to inform that the candidate for Malda District’s Habibpur Assembly Constituency (No. 43) had to be replaced due to her ill health."

Upset at not being fielded from Malda, Sarla Murmu has now decided to meet TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to request a change in her candidature. The TMC candidate list includes a total of 50 women candidates, 42 Muslim candidates, 79 candidates from Scheduled Caste (SC) and 17 from candidates from Scheduled Tribe (ST). Twenty-seven TMC MLAs were not given a chance.