The Trinamul district leadership in Murshidabad on Monday evening announced Sagardighi block president Debashish Banerjee, 50, as its candidate for the Sagardighi by-election to be held next month.

The by-election to be held on February 27 was necessitated by the untimely demise in December 2022 of Trinamul MLA Subrata Saha.

“Banerjee comes from a political family and has earlier held the post of the party’s youth wing president, making him an ideal candidate,” said a district Trinamul leader.

Sources said Banerjee is a distant relative of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and had worked with her in the Youth Congress before Trinamul was formed.

“I am grateful to the party for having selected me. This seat has gone to our party in the last three elections, and I will fight hard to ensure a fourth victory,” said Banerjee, whose late father Sanjib Banerjee was an RSP leader.

Banerjee was appointed block president in Sagardighi in August last year.

On January 16, Mamata helmed a rally in Sagardighi with Abhijeet Mukherjee, son of late former President Pranab Mukherjee, on the stage alongside Subrata Saha’s wife and son.

“The rally spawned rumours that Abhijeet or the late Saha’s wife may be the next candidate, but those were laid to rest today,” said a party source.

Banerjee’s name was announced on Monday by Trinamul’s Jangipur district president and MP Khalilur Rahman.