With the Lok Sabha elections approaching, political tensions are surging in West Bengal, notably around the campaign strategies and candidacies proclaimed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The TMC, which has nuanced its campaign using the slogan ‘Bahirgata and Bangla Birodhi,’ accuses the BJP of neglecting the state by cutting off funds. This slogan closely mimics their earlier narrative—’Bengal wants its own daughter’—used during the 2021 Assembly polls. However, despite emphasizing native representation, the TMC has nominated individuals such as Yusuf Pathan and Kirti Azad for Lok Sabha seats, neither of whom are from West Bengal, sparking criticism from BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar. Questions also arise concerning TMC’s decision to nominate Sushmita Deb, originally from Assam, to the Rajya Sabha.
As part of their candidate overhaul, TMC has chosen to replace several actors from their roster with new faces representing the realm of Bengali cinema, such as Rachana Banerjee and June Mailah. While changing its lineup by discarding five incumbent MPs, it offered electoral tickets to 26 fresher contenders. The fielding of Sujata Khan Mondal, ex-spouse of BJP MP Saumitra Khan, has further stirred the political scene in Bishnupur. Additionally, the nomination of Yusuf Pathan from Berhampore has Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury declaring a bold challenge to his opponents.
Meanwhile, the BJP has shone the spotlight on TMC for choosing Shatrughan Sinha, a veteran actor with a substantial public profile, as their candidate for Asansol. BJP representatives have accused the TMC of filing a list of candidates with questionable reputations, referencing previous criminal allegations and contentious professional backgrounds. Pawan Singh, the Bhojpuri actor-singer, retracted his candidacy for the BJP in Asansol, hinting at reasons unshared with the public but coming in the wake of TMC chastisement over the content of some of his songs. Shatrughan Sinha recognized Singh’s withdrawal as an internal matter of the BJP, maintaining a diplomatic stance on the unfolding events.