Kolkata, Jan 24: For the first time after they parted company last September, both at the Centre and West Bengal, Congress will face the ruling Trinamool Congress in by-elections at three Assembly constituencies in the state on February 23.
State industry minister and senior TMC leader Partha Chatterjee told reporters today that two of their ministers Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Humayun Kabir would be contesting from Englisbazar and Rezinagar seats respectively and Biplab Ojha will fight the Nalhati seat.
The Left Front and the BJP have already announced their candidates for the by-elections.
The Nalhati Assembly seat in Birbhum district fell vacant after its MLA Abhijit Mukherjee, son of President Pranab Mukherjee, quit from there to fight the Lok Sabha by-election from Jangipur.
The constituencies of English Bazar in Malda district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district fell vacant after their MLAs Krishnendu Choudhury and Humayun Kabir resigned as MLAs to join the Trinamool Congress.
The Congress is yet to declare the names of its candidates even though all three seats were won by them during the 2011 Assembly elections when Trinamool Congress in alliance with Congress came to power in the state.
