Mithun Chakraborty in BJP: A move to woo Bengali sentiment ahead of Assembly elections

The BJP has inducted yet another film celebrity from Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections on Sunday at its Brigade Parade Ground mega rally in Kolkata.

But this time it was not just any actor from Tollywood (Bengal's film industry) or the television industry. The saffron party has roped in Mithun Chakraborty, one of the biggest Bollywood superstars who has a pervading influence over Bengal's film industry as well.

Apparently, BJP’s aim behind the move is to woo the Bengali sentiment by inducting one of its most famous “son of the soil.”

Although the BJP leadership has not said a word about what Chakraborty’s role will be in the party, it seems that the saffron party wants to make him one of their prominent faces in the state.

Despite having put his best years in the film industry behind him, Chakraborty still has considerable popularity among Bengalis across age groups. It may help BJP to counter West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee’s “outsider” barb at them.

Also read: Actor Mithun Chakraborty joins BJP at PM Narendra Modi's rally in Kolkata

The TMC leadership even indicated that they were assuming that the BJP may project Chakraborty as their chief ministerial candidate in the Assembly elections and have already started to raise the pitch against him.

“Mithun has switched sides several times. I have heard from many that the BJP wants to make him their chief ministerial candidate. But my question is does he have the credibility and capability to become a Chief Minister,” said senior TMC MP Sougata Roy.

This is not the first time the “Disco Dancer” star is having an affiliation with political parties or leaders. He had a very close relationship with the late CPI(M) leader Subhas Chakraborty. Then in 2014, the TMC made him a Rajya Sabha MP.

But in 2016, he resigned from the Rajya Sabha citing health issues and took a hiatus from politics after his name surfaced in the Saradha scam.

BJP sources said that Mithun will definitely campaign for the BJP but it is yet to be decided if the party will field him as a candidate.

It remains to be seen whether Chakraborty’s induction into the BJP turns out to be a masterstroke for the party.