Within an hour after the election schedule was announced for West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday released its list of candidates for all 294 assembly seats, re-nominating Saradha ponzi scam accused Madan Mitra.
Mitra, now behind bars in connection with the multi-billion rupee scandal, will contest from his old constituency Kamarhati in North 24 Parganas district, Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee announced.
Former India cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla will fight his maiden electoral battle from Howrah North.
Late cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya's daughter Vaishali Dalmiya will contest from Bally in Howrah district while leading Bengali film actor Sohom bagged the Trinamool ticket from Barjora in Bankura district.
Soccer legend Bhaichung Bhutia, who lost the Lok Sabha polls two years back, will try his luck for a second time from Siliguri. Another renowned footballer, Syed Rahim Nabi, is the candidate from Pandua in Hooghly.
Banerjee said the party had nominated 45 women candidates, up from 31 in 2011. The number of Muslim candidates has risen from 38 five years ago to 57.