Trinamool goes it alone in Assam

The grand alliance between Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi in Bengal seems to have little effect in Assam where Trinamool Congress is poised to announce candidates for all the 126 Assembly seats.

The party has already announced candidates for 98 seats in two phases and the candidates for the rest of the seats is expected on Wednesday. Mamata Banerjee will campaign in the state.

"Winds of change are blowing not only in Bengal but also in Assam. Mamata Banerjee's Ma Maati Manush will sweep the polls here. We have already announced the names of candidates in some seats. Tomorrow we will announce the list for all the seats," said Biswajit Handique, TMC spokesperson in Assam over phone to HT.

TMC will now take on Congress among other parties. Polls will be held in Assam in two phases, April 4 and 11.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee earlier asked for seat sharing in Assam, where Congress is ruling party. However, seat sharing talks failed and Trinamool Congress decided to go it alone in the state.

"Congress workers and leaders are joining us in hundreds everyday under the leadership of Debeshwar Bora," Handiqui added.

Trinamool announced a list of 55 candidates on March 15. The next day another list of 43 was announced. Meanwhile, a section of Congress leaders and workers have already changed sides. Congress leader and former state industry minister Bizit Saikia is contesting from Tezpur on a Trinamool ticket.

Leaders like Dilip Saikia, former district Congress president of Golaghat constituency has pledged support to Debeshwar Bora, Trinamool state president who is also a candidate.

Trinamool has being making inroads in North Eastern states recently. The party has four MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh and recently won a by-election in Manipur.