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A glamourous pollscape in Bengal

KOLKATA, APRIL 4. Pollscape in West Bengal has perhaps never been so starry and glamour-struck before.

With the Congress fielding former beauty queen and champion swimmer Nafisa Ali against Coal and Mines Minister, Mamata Banerjee, from the Kolkata South Lok Sabha constituency and yesteryear's popular actress Moushumi `Balika Bodhu' Chatterjee against veteran leader Ajit Panja from his bastion Kolkata North East LS constituency, it is time now to see if glamour and glitz pose any challenge in the state political battlefield.

Moushumi said that when West Bengal Pradesh Congress president requested her to fight the polls from the Kolkata North East constituency, she could not say no. Though she was initially hesitant and a bit shaky to fight against a veteran like Mr Panja, who has been representing the constituency for six consecutive terms, the actress could not turn down Mr Mukherjee's request and decided to face the electors' mandate.

If Moushumi's way of making it to the fray is on a humanitarian note, Nafisa sounds absolutely prepared to take on the hardline of politicking.

``This Lok Sabha election is going to be very crucial for all as we are at an important crossroad and the future depends on how we vote. There are two choices before the people: either to vote for the power hungry communal government led by the BJP or in favour of the progressive and the secular Congress,'' Ms Ali had said.

If Moushumi has joined politics following Mr Mukherjee's request, Nafisa wants her ``views to be recorded as a person who had fought very honestly against the communal agenda of the BJP, a party that should be disbanded.''

Nafisa also doesn't seem much awe-struck by her rival Ms Banerjee's political personality. ``It's a matter of shame that the BJP could enter the state's political scene and that too with Mamata's cooperation.''

``Mamata is a lady governed by an aggressive want of power and for that she remained in the Cabinet without any portfolio for such a long phase. It's a joke,'' Nafisa said.

However, the point of advantage with both Moushumi and Nafisa is their connection with Bengal, particularly with Kolkata. Ms Chatterjee, the daughter-in-law of legendary singer and music director Hemanta Mukherjee, said she knew the state and the city very well and was aware about the state's politics.

On the other hand, Nafisa's father Ahmed Ali, a well-known photographer, her sister and a group of friends are her link with Kolkata. Her grandfather S. Wajed Ali was a famous writer.

While Nafisa has already started meeting electorate of her constituency, Moushumi is reaching here on April 6 for campaigning.

Though only the electorate could decide the fate of the ``Balika Bodhu'' or the former glamour queen, the fact remains that West Bengal for the first time is enjoying high-voltage starry fights this election.

-- UNI

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