Kolkata, Feb 20 (IANS) As the initial process of selection of party candidates from the 294 constituencies in West Bengal for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state this year has already started, the Trinamool Congress leadership is considering changing the constituencies of some heavyweight members of the state cabinet and some veteran party legislators.

Party sources said that already two rounds of closed-door meetings involving very few select leaders in the topmost structure of the party pyramid took place on Wednesday and Thursday, at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence at Kalighat in Kolkata, during which initial discussions were held on the selection of the probable candidates for the Assembly polls later this year.

Party sources said that some probable names of existing cabinet members and veteran party MLAs were discussed who might be fielded from different constituencies this time.

At the same time, the party sources added, there were discussions on the probable names of existing party legislators who might get re-nomination this time and will be utilised strictly for organisational assignments.

The third point of discussion in the selective closed-door meetings on Wednesday and Thursday was on how to make a perfect balance between “old guards” and “new faces” in the candidate list this time.

The fourth and final point of discussion was about the inclusion of new non-political faces from the celebrity world and other professions, including media, in the candidate list. “There is a likelihood of some major surprises in the party’s candidate list this time,” said the Trinamool Congress sources.

Meanwhile, discussion has also started for the choice of the candidates for the forthcoming elections for the five Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal on March 16. Out of five Rajya Sabha seats, Trinamool Congress is all set to comfortably bag four, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will have to settle with one, as per the numerical strengths of the two parties in the state Assembly.

The party sources said that out of the four seats in the Upper House of the Parliament where the victory of the Trinamool Congress candidates is assured, three will be hardcore party leaders, while one will be a non-political face but with an excellent network in the political circles in the national capital.

–IANS

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