Jaya Bachchan On Campaign Trail, Says Bengal Will Flourish Even Further If Mamata Becomes CM Again

Jaya Bachchan, veteran Indian film actress and Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party, claimed that West Bengal will flourish even further if Mamata Banerjee once again becomes the Chief Minister of the State.

Jaya, who arrived in Kolkata late on Sunday evening (on April 4), began her campaigning for the senior Trinamool Congress leader and three-time Tollygunge MLA, Aroop Biswas. She will stay in Kolkata and join the election campaign and road shows for other TMC candidates as well for the next four days.

Aroop Biswas will face BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo in Tollygunge Assembly constituency where the polling will be held on April 10.

Addressing a press conference, Jaya, while hinting at BJP, said, “No one ever succeeded in intimidating the Bengalis. It is not easy to scare Bengalis and it will not happen now.”

“Today, I would like to recite (a) few lines of Rabindranath Tagore – Banglar maati banglar jol, banglar baayu banglar phool…punnyo hok, punnyo hok, punnyo hok, hey bhogobaan…banglar pran banglar mon, bangalir ghorey joto bhai bon ek hok, ek hok, ek hok, hey bhogobaan (The soil, water, air and produce of Bengal may be blessed, may be blessed, may be blessed…my lord. The soul, thoughts of Bengalis, all brothers and sisters in the homes of Bengalis, let’s unite, let’s unite, let’s unite…my god),” she said.

While terming Mamata as a fighter, she said, “She is struggling and fighting for the people. She has her head and leg broken but they (hinting at BJP) have not been able to break her courage. I am thankful to my leader Akhilesh Yadav for sending me here to stand beside a lady who is fighting against all atrocities. It is a great honour for me to stand with a single lady (Mamata Banerjee) who is fighting against all of them (BJP) to protect our democratic rights. I personally believe that West Bengal will flourish even further if Mamata Banerjee becomes the chief minister again.”

“I was Jaya Bhaduri before I was a Bachchan. I am not here in Kolkata to act but I am here to campaign for Mamata Banerjee who we love and respect a lot. Those who disrespect Mamata, I would like to tell them – shame, shame, shame. Bengal is the safest place for women and Bengal thinks much ahead of the rest of the country,” she added.

Without naming the BJP leaders and their alleged divisive politics, Jaya said, “Do not hijack my religion from me. Do not hijack my democracy and democratic rights from me.”

Jaya Bachchan was first elected in 2004 as the Member of Parliament from the Samajwadi Party, representing Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha till March 2006. She got a second term in June 2006. She was re-elected in 2012 for the third term and again in 2018 for her fourth term in the Rajya Sabha from Samajwadi Party.

She started her acting career as a teenager in Satyajit Ray’s Mahanagar in 1963.