Trinamool Congress took everyone by surprise by fielding Rachna Banerjee, who is a known Bengali superstar, from Hooghly Lok Sabha Constituency.
Following her nomination, she has started to campaign for the polls.
Bharatiya Janata Party, too, knows how to surprise its opponents. While Banerjee is new to politics and trying to build her vote bank ahead of the polls, BJP gave her a surprise.
Banerjee’s former husband Siddhant Mohapatra, who is an Oriya film star, might contest elections on BJP’s ticket. He reportedly met BJP leadership in New Delhi too in order to join the party.
Mohapatra has been in politics for a long time. He has also been elected Member of Parliament twice for Odisha’s ruling party Biju Janata Dal.
Won elections for BJD in 2009 and 2014. However, in 2019, he did not get a ticket.
It is not just Mohapatra, six-time MP from Cuttack Bhartrihari Mehtab left BJD and joined BJP. It is believed that BJP is going to give a big blow to Naveen Patnaik’s party BJD in Odisha elections.
Meanwhile, Banerjee had to face questions related to her ex-husband while campaigning for polls.
In reply to this, Banerjee said, “My best wishes to him. But, now I am concerned about the people of Hooghly. Apart from that, I don’t have time to think about who is doing what.”
Incidentally, Mohapatra is known as the superstar of Oriya film industry.
Siddhant has also won consecutive state government awards from 2000 to 2006. Meanwhile, Banerjee also once acted opposite MoMohapatra in Bengali films as well as Oriya films. That’s when Rachna-Siddhant fell in love with each other. They got married secretly in 2004. Later they got separated. Rachna left Odisha after separation from former husband.
Moreover, this time Rachna is fighting against BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee from Hooghly. Rachna is seen taking the BJP single-handedly every day while campaigning.