Popular singers in Bengal poll fray

 Anup Ghoshal, who lent his voice to evergreen songs of Satyajit Ray’s popular “Goopy Bagha” series of films, is likely to make his poll debut on a Trinamool ticket and contest the coming West Bengal Assembly polls. And he is scheduled to find a compatriot in folk singer Pariskshit Bala who will, in all probability, be jumping on the Trinamool bandwagon in the current edition of the Assembly elections.

“It’s true, I am contesting the polls on a Trinamool ticket. I will fight from the Uttarpara Assembly constituency,” Ghoshal confirmed on Tuesday. “I hope to win and am keen to do something for the common people.”

Asked what prompted him to join the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit, he said: “She requested me to contest and I couldn’t turn her down. I would love to help the upcoming singers in the state who are poor and would also spread the magic of music.”

The Uttarpara Assembly seat is in Hooghly district. Ghoshal will contest against CPM nominee Srutinath Praharaj. Bala, who is one of the leading folk singers of the state, may contest from Birbhum district in north Bengal.

However, famous Bengali actor Chiranjeet Chakroborty and  Amit Mitra, secretary-general  of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, who held a meeting with Banerjee at her Kalighat residence here on Monday, confirmed that they will be contesting the poll on Trinamool Congress tickets.

While Chiranjeet will contest from the Barasat Assembly seat against Forward Bloc nominee Sanjib Chatterjee, Mitra will take on state finance minister Asim Dasgupta from Khardah in North 24 Parganas district.