The Congress on Thursday night announced candidates for eight Lok Sabha seats in Bengal.

The Congress named Ali Imran Ramz for Raiganj, Mostaque Alam for Malda North, Isha Khan Chowdhury for Malda South, Md. Murotja Hossain for Jangipur, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for Behrampore, Pradip Bhattacharya for Calcutta North, Nepal Mahato for Purulia and Milton Rashid for Birbhum.

In place of outgoing Malda South MP Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury — who is 83 now, his 52-year-old son, Isha Khan Chowdhury, was fielded. State Congress functionaries said although the octogenarian was keen to contest for a fourth term, he was dissuaded to vacate the seat in favour of his son on account of his advanced age and ailments.

The other outgoing MP from the Congress, five-term Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of Behrampore, was fielded again.

“There are no surprises. All of these names were approved in principle a while ago,” said a state Congress leader.

“The only seat that parleys are yet to be concluded for, with the Left, is Purulia…. Left Front partner Forward Bloc remains adamant about contesting from that seat. We couldn’t keep waiting. Hopefully, this will get sorted out,” he added.

The list was issued after inordinate delays from the Front, in which the CPM was finding it difficult to convince partners to vacate seats for the Congress in Bengal.

“The Congress list largely adheres to what transpired in the talks for seat adjustment with the Left,” CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said.

Asked if the Congress fielding a candidate from the Purulia seat, which Bloc had staked claim to, would come in the way of a deal with the Grand Old Party, CPM state secretary Md. Salim said: “We remain hopeful. The issue will be discussed at the Left Front meeting tomorrow (on Friday).”