Thaindian News

Kolkata, March 12 (IANS) Trinamool Congress Thursday announced names of 27 candidates in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha and among them is a father-son duo, both legislators, contesting from neighbouring seats in East Midnapore district.
Seventy-one-year-old Sisir Adikari, a legislator from Egra, will contest from Contai against Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate Prasanta Pradhan.

HIs son Subhendu, 35, legislator from Contai South, will take on CPI-M strongman Laxman Seth in Tamluk, which includes trouble-torn Nandigeam where violent protests forced the state’s ruling Left Front to abandon its bid to establish a chemical hub last year.

Subhendu had fought Seth unsuccessfully in the 2004 Lok Sabha election.

Subhendu grabbed the national spotlight after spearheading the anti-establishment protests by the villagers during the Nandigram movement.

“Both of us are tested leaders. Nobody can say that Subhendu has got the ticket for being my son. He has come up through the ranks after being successful in the cooperative and student movements. I am also in politics for six decades and have worked at all levels,” Sisir told IANS.

“We come from a family of freedom fighters. Our home was burnt thrice by the British between 1929 and 1943. Politics is in our blood,” he said.

Subhendu did not find anything new in contesting the elections alongside his father.

“We were both Congress candidates in the Contai Municipality in 1995 and 2000. We had also fought the 2001 and 2006 Assembly polls from neighbouring seats. We got nominated and renominated on the strength of our political work,” he said.