The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its fourth list of 13 candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections on Tuesday morning. The list features a strategic mix of newcomers, defectors, and high-profile personalities, marking a bold move by the party leadership.

• Star Candidates: The biggest highlight is the nomination of Soma Thakur, wife of Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, from the Bagda (SC) constituency. Former IPS officer Debashis Dhar will contest from Sonarpur Uttar, while recent Congress defector Santosh Pathak has been fielded from the prestigious Chowrangee seat.
• Major Omissions: In a surprising move, the party dropped sitting MLA Mihir Goswami from Natabari, replacing him with Girija Shankar Ray. Similarly, the candidate for Maynaguri (SC) was changed from Kaushik Ray to Lalim Ray.
• Key Contenders: The list also includes journalist Manav Guha from Memari and Dr. Pijush Kanti Das from Chandipur.

With this announcement, BJP has now named candidates for most seats, while 6 names are still under discussion. The inclusion of Soma Thakur signals the party’s intent to consolidate the crucial Matua vote bank.