Young faithfuls anchor strategy in fight for seats
Times of India | 18 March 2026
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress has signalled a clear preference for long-serving young party workers in its latest ticket distribution, rewarding those who have been building the organisation at the grassroots level and in public outreach.
Among those fielded are party IT cell chief Debangshu Bhattacharya, student wing head Trinankur Bhattacharya, former MP Ritabrata Banerjee, spokesperson Tanmoy Ghosh, Sreya Pande, Sirsanya Bandyopadhyay and Vasundhara Goswami. The selection reflects an effort to recognise patience, loyalty, and sustained work on the ground rather than other influences.
Debangshu Bhattacharya, who has been nominated from Chinsurah, described his candidature as a message to younger workers in the party. Calling himself a representative of ‘Gen Z', he said he had been associated with the party for 15 years. He stated that the party had shown that even an ordinary worker could secure a ticket through consistent political and social campaigning. Soon after the candidate list was announced, he posted ‘#NewChunchura' on social media.
Another young face, Trinankur Bhattacharya, has been nominated from Noapara. The Trinamool Chhatra Parishad president since 2018 said he was grateful to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee for choosing him. He said the decision would encourage young workers by showing that dedication and hard work can create a political future within the party.
Tanmoy Ghosh, the party spokesperson who has been given the ticket for Serampore, said his journey was difficult, beginning in a remote village in Murshidabad before he studied chemical engineering at Jadavpur University. He noted that he worked for 20 years across 46 countries and also served in a senior business role at a multinational company. According to him, he joined politics because he believed the country needed a party like Trinamool to counter the BJP's agenda, and he expressed hope to contribute in future policymaking.
Ritabrata Banerjee, a former Rajya Sabha MP who joined the party after being expelled from the CPM in 2017, has been given a ticket for Uluberia Purba. He said he was grateful to the party for placing its trust in him. Vasundhara Goswami, daughter of late RSP leader Kshiti Goswami, is now a councillor from Jadavpur. She has been nominated from Purbasthali Uttar and is expected to focus on agricultural issues during her campaign.
Kalyan Bandyopadhyay's son Sirsanya, a senior standing counsel at Calcutta HC, has been given a ticket to fight from Uttarpara. He said: "I have been with TMCP from 2005 when CPM was in power. I am a product of opposition politics. Thereafter, my leader Mamata Banerjee, to whom I am really thankful, thought that I should fight this battle in the corridor of Calcutta high court from 2011. Now, the platform will change but my fight will continue."