Dozen of Bengali film, TV actors join BJP

About a dozen of Bengali actors, including Parno Mittra, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of West Bengal state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, Mukul Roy and spokesperson Sambit Patra, here on Thursday.

Film and television personalities who joined the BJP included Rishi Kaushik, Kanchana Moitra, Rupanjana Mitra and Biswajit Ganguly.

Speaking to reporters, Ghosh accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of harassing the people who join the BJP. "People of Bengal feel risky to join the BJP in the state and that's why we organise the joining outside the state," he said.

Ghosh hailed Bengali actors for their courage to join the party and alleged that many councillors who quit the TMC to join the BJP were being harassed. 

Since the BJP won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in 2019 elections, several TMC, Congress and Left leaders have joined the party in the state. The TMC bagged 22 seats.

The BJP, which emerged as the second biggest party in the state, is eyeing to wrest power from Mamata Banerjee-led TMC. IANS