Thursday, March 9 2006 15:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The ruling Left Front today(Mar 9,2006)announced the names of three CPI(M) and a Forward Bloc candidates to contest the March 28 Rajya Sabha elections from the state to fill five vacancies from West Bengal.

The candidate for the fifth seat is likely to be from the main opposition Trinamool Congress which is yet to make any announcement.

The Left Front candidates are- Moinul Hasan, a former MP, Tapan Sen, a CITU secretary (both of CPI(M), Saman Pathak, a marxist leader in Darjeeling and Barun Mukherjee, a Forward Bloc leader.

The Election Commission, on March two, decided to hold elections on March 28 to fill 58 seats with the expiry of terms by members.

The Rajya Sabha members from West Bengal who would be retiring are Nilotpal Basu, Dipankar Mukherjee, Manoj Bhattacharya, Jayanta Bhattacharya and a seat fell vacant on account of the death of Biplab Dasgupta, would go to polls in West Bengal.