Interestingly enough both the parties have relied on the tried and tested candidates rather than new faces from the world of sports and celluloid.
TMC and BJP
Though both the Trinamul Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielding a number of celebrity candidates ~ from the field of film and sports ~ in the upcoming Assembly election, the much-anticipated element of surprise appears to be largely absent this time.
Interestingly enough both the parties have relied on the tried and tested candidates rather than new faces from the world of sports and celluloid.
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Within the ruling TMC, although a handful of known figures from the entertainment and sports world have found a place, the party has largely relied on candidates who have previously tested electoral waters.
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Among the prominent names, actor Soham Chakraborty has been fielded from Karimpur, while filmmaker Raj Chakraborty will contest from Barrackpore.
The party has nominated actor Sayantika Banerjee once again from Baranagar, indicating the party’s continued faith in familiar faces.
The TMC has also rested its faith on two existing MLAs from the world of entertainment ~ folk singer Aditi Munshi from Rajarhat Gopalpur and actor Lovely Maitra from Sonarpur South.
Singer Indranil Sen, who has been the party’s MLA from 2016, has been re-nominated from Chandannagar, reinforcing the party’s inclination toward experienced candidates.
However, in a surprising move the party fielded Asian Games gold medallist Swapna Barman from Rajganj shortly after joining the party, marking her electoral debut.
Similarly, footballer Bidesh Bose will contest from Saptagram, while cricketer-turned-coach Shib Shankar Paul has been nominated from Tufanganj, adding to the sports representation in the fray.
Another notable entrant is Shreya Pandey, daughter of late TMC MLA Sadhan Pandey, who will contest from Maniktala, marking her first major political battle.
The political observers believe that the overall number of celebrity candidates remains limited, suggesting that the TMC has opted for experience and organisational strength over experimentation with new faces.
On the other hand, the BJP’s candidate list has generated more buzz compared to the ruling party, with several high-profile entries across phases.
Though the saffron brigade nominated old guards like Ridranil Ghosh and Hiran Chatterjee, it has also given preferences to new faces like Papiya Adhikari and Shraboni Mukherjee.
In the two lists released so far Ghosh has been fielded from Shibpur while Chatterjee will be contesting from Shyampur.
According to party insiders, Chatterjee’s nomination from Shyampur is a bit surprising because he was removed from the winning seat – Kharagpur Sadar – in the first and it was anticipated that the party might ignore him following his marriage controversy.
As far as new entrants are concerned, in Tollygunge, actor Papia Adhikari has been nominated, while Sharbori Mukherjee will contest from Jadavpur.
A high-voltage contest is also expected in Sonarpur South, where BJP has fielded actor Rupa Ganguly against TMC’s Lovely Maitra, setting the stage for a star-studded face-off.
The BJP has released candidates for 256 seats across two phases, leaving 38 seats yet to be announced. Polling for the 294-member Assembly will be held in two phases on 23 April and 29 April, with results scheduled to be declared on 4 May.
Notably, this marks the first time in three decades that the state will witness a two-phase Assembly election.
As the campaign gathers pace, the presence of celebrities is expected to add glamour and crowd-pulling appeal.
Yet, the larger political narrative suggests a shift away from dramatic new inclusions toward a more measured reliance on familiar and electorally seasoned faces.
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