New Delhi, March 18 (NationPress) Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad asserted on Wednesday that West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is destined to become the next Prime Minister, while fiercely criticizing the BJP.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Azad remarked, “The allegations are directed at the BJP, not the Election Commission of India (ECI). Many assume the claims are against the ECI because it operates as the BJP's ally in the electoral process.”

He further condemned the BJP by stating, “The BJP's futile efforts are evident. Recently, a female Cabinet Minister from West Bengal was attacked. The BJP will go to any extent. History shows that when the BJP gains power, incidents of lynching and riots escalate. We have witnessed it all.”

“They can attempt to manipulate the Assembly elections over multiple phases, but victory in West Bengal is unattainable for them,” he continued.

Azad also dismissed the BJP's claims regarding their chances in West Bengal, praising Mamata Banerjee's exceptional leadership.

“The misconception held by Prime Minister Modi and others is that they will prevail in West Bengal, but they are mistaken. Mamata Banerjee is destined to be the next Prime Minister, given her unmatched contributions to Bengal,” he stated.

On Tuesday, the Trinamool Congress unveiled a list of 291 candidates for the upcoming two-phase elections for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, setting the stage for a significant contest in Bhabanipur constituency in South Kolkata, where CM Banerjee will run again.

According to the candidate list released by CM Banerjee, she will be contesting from Bhabanipur, facing BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.

The BJP, on the other hand, announced its initial list of 144 candidates, nominating Adhikari from his current seat in Nandigram, as well as from Bhabanipur.

This will mark the second confrontation between Banerjee and her former aide Adhikari. Adhikari was re-elected from Nandigram in 2021, defeating Banerjee.

Later, Banerjee secured her position in Bhabanipur through a bye-election, marking her third consecutive term as Chief Minister.

While the Trinamool will contest from 291 constituencies, they have reserved three Assembly seats in North Bengal—Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong—for their ally in the hills, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), founded by Anit Thapa, who also serves as the Chief Executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

In Nandigram, the Trinamool has fielded Pabitra Kar, a former BJP leader and close associate of Adhikari, who rejoined the Trinamool mere hours before the candidate list was announced.

To ensure full transparency in the electoral management ahead of the two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal next month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to implement a system for daily oversight of the general observers, police, and expenditure observers designated for the elections in the state.

A special monitoring cell, led directly by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, will be established. This cell will supervise the activities of the ECI-appointed observers and provide daily reports of its findings to the ECI headquarters in New Delhi, as confirmed by an insider from the CEO’s office.