The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : CANDIDATE WATCH

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

CANDIDATE WATCH

Moushumi Chatterjee, Congress candidate, Kolkata North-east

West Bengal's flirtation with Bollywood began when Moushumi Chatterjee entered the State Congress office to address a press conference on Monday. "I have come here to win the election. Give me a chance to show what I can do for the people," she said.

Ms. Chatterjee arrived in Kolkata on Sunday evening to contest from the Kolkata North-east parliamentary constituency where she is pitted against Ajit Panja, Nationalist Trinamool Congress' sitting MP, and Mohammad Salim, the CPI (M) candidate who is also a Minister in the ruling Left Front Government in the State.

The actress from Bollywood reminded Bengal of her long association with the State, her first Bengali film, Balika Badhu and her father-in-law, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay or Hemant Kumar whose songs are still on people's lips across the State.

"Politics has not been my profession. Ajit Panja's is. But he had to begin his journey one day. There has to be a first time for me too," Ms. Chatterjee said.

When Ms. Chatterjee arrived at the Kolkata airport, a large number of Congress workers welcomed her, many of them keen on having a glimpse of the Bengali actress who had made it big in Bollywood. Ms. Chatterjee shot to fame at a very early age when she got her break in Balika Badhu, a film by Tarun Mazumdar, an acclaimed director who has made several out-of-the ordinary films over the years.

To a question, Ms. Chatterjee said the phenomenon of film stars joining politics for money was certainly "bad" but added: "In politics too, you have leaders who take money."

To another question, she said she now had time to turn her attention to other things in life, such as politics. "I had slogged for years to reach a position in the film industry. Later, I concentrated on raising my children and now, I have time to serve the people."

Ms. Chatterjee will begin her campaign in North Kolkata with a workers meet. The State Congress leaders such as Somen Mirtra, Pradip Bhattacharya and others would be available to offer her a tip or two to win the voters' hearts.

— Malabika Bhattacharya

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