TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has reposed her confidence in two celebrity candidates from Bihar to win the Asansol and BurdwanDurgapur Lok Sabha seats. Incidentally both were former Lok Sabha MP’s from BJP and later quit the saffron brigade, while Shatrughan Sinha was also an Union minister. Shatrughan Sinha will contest from Asansol and Kirti Azad from BurdwanDurgapur.

It is evident that to woo the large Hindi speaking vote bank in the nine Assembly seats of West Burdwan, Mamata Banerjee is depending on the star power of the two ~ Bollywood veteran Shatrughan Sinha and cricket icon Kirti Azad, who was part of Kapil Dev’s 1983 Prudential World Cup winning team.

Talking to The Statesman, Shatrughan Sinha said that he has already published his report card as Asansol MP. “The announcement of my name again as the candidate is proof enough that I have worked for the people of Asansol during my small tenure in Lok Sabha. I am grateful to Mamata ji that she has again reposed her faith in me and I feel in the 17 th Lok Sabha polls the BJP will fail to cross 200 seats,” said Mr Sinha, who is now searching for a temporary house on rent in Asansol.

Son of former Chief Minister of Bihar, Bhagawat Jha Azad, Kirti Azad said that his father took five bullets in his leg during his fight for independence against the British. “ My father was the youngest ever MP and later a cabinet minister and ultimately CM of undivided Bihar. I have fought from Dhanbad in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on a congress ticket, but this time with the popularity and the hard work of CM Mamata Banerjee I hope that we will be able to win the DurgapurBurdwan seat. I wish to work for Bengal and raise my voice in the Lok Sabha,”he added.

Incidentally Kirti Azad used to play along with Kamalendu Mishra, former executive of Alloy Steel Plant, Durgapur in the Sail Cricket team. “ We have played together for several years in the Sail Cricket team and have played in Durgapur and Burnpur. Kirti Azad called me over the phone to convey the news a few days back and I am excited to see my former colleague in his latest avataar. He had immense talent as a cricketer, highly disciplined and was very strong mentally,” said Kamalendu Mishra, who now runs a cricket academy in Burnpur. Sambhu Nath Jha, secretary of Asansol Chamber of Commerce was travelling from New Delhi to Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport in Andal along with Kirti Azad. “

He told me that it has been finalised that Kirti Azad will contest from Durgapur and his name will be announced in the Brigade rally as I have told you already,” he added. While Kirti Azad is likely to face Surendar Singh Ahluwalia, sitting MP of Durgapur -Burdwan, another heavyweight candidate of BJP who is seeking reelection, Shatrughan Sinha is likely to face Bhojpuri actress Akhshara Singh in Asansol seat.

The non-Bengali population in these nine Assembly seats of West Burdwan – Kulti, Barabani, Asansol North, Asansol South, Jamuria, Raniganj, Pandaveswar (under Asansol Lok Sabha), Durgapur East, Durgapur West (Durgapur-Burdwan) makes up around 30 to 40 per cent of the total voting populatio. Both BJP and TMC are eyeing this huge segment.