Yusuf Pathan joins Mamata Banerjee's TMC, to contest Lok Sabha Polls from Berhampore

Former Indian cricketer and IPL star Yusuf Pathan has kicked off his new innings as a politician after the joined the Mamata Banerjee's All India Trinamool Congress today.

Pathan will also contest the upcoming Lok Sabah polls from the Berhampore (Bahrampur) Lok Sabha seats, announced West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

By fielding Pathan from the Berhampore seat, the TMC has also posed a significant challenge to the Congress.

The Lok Sabha seat is currently held by Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

While the Congress has yet not released its candidate list for the state, it's likely that Chaowdhury may contest from the seat once again.

The TMC also fielded former cricketer Kirti Azad from the Burdwan Durgapur seat and former actor Shatrughan Sinha from the Asansol seat.

The party did not field Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan this time.

While Mimi Chaktraborty had resigned from the party opting out of poltics, Nusrat Jahan probably got dropped due to her remarks on the Sandeshkhali violence.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, announced the TMC candidates at a show of strength in the heart of Kolkata on Sunday.

As expected, Abhishek Banerjee is on the TMC ticket from Diamond Harbour while former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan has been fielded from Behrampore. He will be pitted against Congress heavyweight Adhir Chowdhury.

Mahua Moitra got the TMC ticket from the Krishnanagar seat. Mahua was expelled as a Lok Sabha MP on December 8 following the report by the Parliamentary Ethics Panel in connection with the alleged 'cash-for-query' case.