West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, today, announced her party's candidate list for the 2016 Assembly polls.

Confirming that her party will fight it out ‘alone’ in all the 294 seats of the State; she announced that nearly 70 new candidates will feature in the list.

The number of women candidates have gone up to 45 (up from 31); while the number of minority candidates has gone up to 57 (from 37).

Star candidates in her list features cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla from the Howrah Uttar constituency; Vaishali Dalmiya, daughter of former ICC Chief Jagmohan Dalmiya from Bally; Tollywood actor Soham from Barjora (Bankura); footballer Baichung Bhutia from Siliguri, amongst others.

Dissidents from Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) that have been demanding a separate State of Gorkhaland be carved out of Darjeeling and parts of the foothills like Harka Bahadur Chetri will also feature as Trinamool Congress candidates.

Saradha scam accused Madan Mtira also features in the candidate list

“Some candidates have wilfully not participated. They will be busy with part work. Apart from these, there are not many changes from 2011. So re-alignment of candidate's constituency have also been done," Banerjee said while announcing the candidate list.

On the possibility of a Congress-CPI(M) alliance, Banerjee said that it was "unethical". "Nothing has yet been formally announced. But there is some work going on between the two at the State level. It is for them to decide. This is an unholy alliance," she said adding that the Trinamool Congress was always against the CPI(M) and will continue to be so.

Elections in Bengal will be held in six phases. First phase will be carried out on two days - April 4 and April 11.

The second phase will take place on April 17; the third on April 21; the fourth on April 25; fifth on April 30 and the last on May 5. Counting will take place on May 19.

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