Mega Rally in Kolkata: Mamata Showcases Strength, Signaling Bengal’s Rejection of BJP’s Divisive Politics
In a significant development, former cricketer Yusuf Pathan and popular Bengali tele star Rachana Banerjee have been included in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha candidate list. The announcement was made during a massive rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Sunday.
Yusuf Pathan, the former allrounder-batsman, will contest from the Berhampore seat, pitting him against Congress stalwart Adhir Chowdhury. Pathan’s entry into politics adds to the growing trend of cricketers entering the political arena, although the success rate of such transitions has been mixed. He faces a tough challenge from Chowdhury, known for his strong political presence in the region.
On the other hand, Rachana Banerjee, known for hosting the popular show ‘Didi No 1’, where Mamata Banerjee recently participated, will contest from the Hooghly seat.
Additionally, another former cricketer, Kirti Azad, will contest from the Burdwan-Durgapur seat.
The TMC’s candidate list also saw the omission of five sitting MPs, including former IPS officer Chowdhury Mohan Jatua, who declined to contest citing his age. Young leader Bapi Halder has been fielded from the Mathurapur seat, previously held by Jatua. TMC leader and Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, who recently switched from BJP to TMC, has also been dropped, with state minister Partha Bhowmik taking his place in the constituency.
Furthermore, Bengali movie stars Mimi Chakraborty and Nussrat Jahan, who won from Jadavpur and Basirhat, respectively, in the last elections, were dropped from the candidate list. However, another actress, Sayani Ghosh, has been nominated from the Jadavpur seat. Muslim leader Haji Nurul has been named the party nominee from Basirhat.
In Arambagh, sitting TMC MP Aparupa Poddar was replaced by Mitali Bagh as the new candidate. Poddar had won the election in 2019 by a narrow margin.
Veteran party leader Sougata Roy has been renominated from Dumdum, and Sudip Bandhopadhyay will contest from the Kolkata North constituency.
In a broader strategy, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the TMC would contest outside West Bengal as well, fielding candidates in Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh.
Expressing gratitude, Yusuf Pathan tweeted, “I’m eternally grateful to Smt. @MamataOfficial for welcoming me into the TMC family and trusting me with the responsibility to become people’s voice in the Parliament. As representatives of the people, it is our duty to uplift the poor and deprived, and that is what I hope to achieve.”
