NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress has announced its candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats, opposing the BJP, the Congress and the CPM in West Bengal. Trinamool President and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the candidates in the presence of tens of thousands of workers at the Jana Garjan Sabha Maharalli at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. With this, Trinamool's campaign began.

They will compete alone in Bengal and will fight in Assam and Meghalaya. Mamata also stated that she is in talks with Samajwadi president Akhilesh Yadav to contest a seat in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not provide funds except when he visits Bengal and inaugurates projects. This is Modi's guarantee.

Mamata's nephew and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that Modi's guarantee has zero warranty. BJP leaders are anti-Bengali and outsiders. It was also clarified that the people will respond to the BJP blocking funds for the state.

Cricketer Yusuf Pathan will compete in Berhampore, the sitting constituency of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary. Abhishek Banerjee was retained at Diamond Harbour, Mahua Moitra at Krishnanagar, and Shatrughan Sinha at Asansol. Basirhat MP Nusrat Jahan was not given a seat in the wake of the Sandeshkhali controversy, which defended the Mamata government. Basirhat is the constituency where Sandeshkhali belongs. Nusrat Jahan will be replaced by Nurul Islam. Former cricketer Keerthy Azad will contest from Durgapur.

AICC General Secretary Jairam Ramesh responded that the Congress tried to divide the seats through consensus. He added that the Congress wants the 'India' front to fight unitedly against the BJP.

A public holiday has been declared in Bengal on April 17, the day of Ram Navami. The BJP has alleged that the move is to change its image as an anti-Hindu party in the elections.