Kolkata, March 15 (IANS): The CPI-M -led Left Front on Sunday announced its first set of candidates for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls, with at least 71 women candidates set to be in fray out of the 144 wards.

"The first set of names announced for the 125 wards has 67 women candidates. For the rest of the 19 wards, we will announce the list in a day or two. In all, 71 woman candidates will be in fray," Left Front chairman Biman Bose told mediapersons here.

The list includes 23 candidates from the religious minorities.

"Besides, when we announced the full list, there will be 21 candidates representing linguistic minorities."

He also accused the Trinamool Congress-run KMC of being "neck deep in corruption" and functioning in an arbitrary way without adhering to democratic norms.

"The KMC is now run by an evil force under which all rules and democratic norms have gone to the drain. The least is said about its corruption the better," said Bose.

The veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist leader said the Left Front was targeting the April 18 polls as the bird's eye and called upon the party activists to start campaigning with a "come what may attitude".

The state government has said the polls to the Kolkata civic body will be held on April 18 and those to 92 other municipalities in various parts of the state on April 25.

The notification for the KMC elections will be issued on March 18. The notification for the polls to the 92 other civic bodies will be issued on March 25.

Both the Trinamool and the Congress have already announced its candidates for the polls which is being seen as a precursor to the 2016 assembly elections.