With panchayat elections in West Bengal scheduled in March 2023-expected to be a curtain-raiser for the parliamentary election in 2024-the BJP has been looking high and low for a credible Bengali face to woo rural voters. Finally, they have decided to pin their hopes on Mithun Chakraborty: movie star, entrepreneur, philanthropist and neophyte politician. However, the real reason for its choice lies in Mithun's unparalleled demotic pull in his home state. The 72-year-old is performing the role assigned to him with all seriousness taking up the saffron party, sitting down for humble meals in tribal homes and making a mouthful of promises, like "incredible investment" coming Bengal's way if the BJP is voted to power. Mithun was inducted into the state BJP's 20-member core committee in October. The effort to project Mithun in a big way began a few months back he was flown in to inaugurate Durga Pujas patronised by the BJP in various districts, including in North Bengal.
This story is from the December 19, 2022 edition of India Today.
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This story is from the December 19, 2022 edition of India Today.
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