Eyeing a historic fourth consecutive term, the TMC has set the stage for a high-stakes electoral contest by announcing candidates for 291 of the 294 West Bengal Assembly seats. At the forefront is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who will once again contest from her prestigious Bhabanipur constituency, reinforcing her strong political base and continuity in leadership.A day after the BJP fielded her arch-rival Suvendu Adhikari from Bhabanipur, Mamata signalled her readiness for a direct contest, standing firm in her decision to fight from the same seat.The TMC on Tuesday released its list of 291 candidates, leaving the remaining three seats for its ally, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), led by Anit Thapa, in the Darjeeling hills.Among other key candidates, Shashi Panja has been fielded from Shyampukur, while Kunal Ghosh will contest from Beleghata. Senior leader Firhad Hakim has been nominated from Kolkata Port. In Uttarpara, the party has fielded Sirsanya Bandopadhyay, while Goutam Deb will contest from Siliguri, Pabitra Kar from Nandigram and Rajib Banerjee from Debra.The party’s candidate list includes 52 women, 95 candidates from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and 47 from minority communities.Addressing mediapersons, Mamata expressed strong confidence in the TMC’s electoral prospects. She asserted that the party would secure more than 226 seats in the Assembly, while dismissing the BJP’s chances. “This is a fight for the ‘astitva’ (identity) of West Bengal,” she said, adding that the BJP’s seat tally would decline compared to the previous election.Slamming the BJP, Mamata said the “power of the people” would ultimately defeat the party in the state. She accused it of attempting to control administrative and electoral processes. “They can remove officers. They can transfer policemen. They can import hundreds of hand-picked observers. They may have captured every institution. But one thing they will never capture — the power of the people,” she said.West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Counting will take place on May 4.