This year’s Lok Sabha election campaigns will be the starriest one, with celebrities not just turning candidates for political parties but also extending support from outside
Music composer Bappi Lahiri, contesting the Lok Sabha polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, is likely to bring in Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and melody queens Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle while canvassing for votes. The Disco King had expressed a desire to turn his constituency – Sreerampur in Hooghly district – into a tourism hub. Now, the area will also get a chance to up its glamour quotient. According to Lahiri’s campaign manager Krishna Bhattacharjee, Salman has given his consent. “Bappi da has said that Salman Khan has relayed to him that he will come. But nothing is confirmed. Lata or Asha may also come,” she toldin an interview.
Bhosle has churned out many hits with Lahiri, including evergreens like De de Pyaar de and Jawaani Jaanemann that topped the music charts in the 1980s. He also has close links with Bollywood bigwigs including Salman and Hrithik Roshan.
Fielded by the Trinamool Congress from Bankura district, former film actress Moon Moon Sen, daughter of the late Bengali screen icon Suchitra Sen, hit the campaign trail recently and her star power has successfully managed to draw crowds. But it remains to be seen whether the fan following can translate into bankable votes.
Thanks to the star-spangled nominations by top political parties, West Bengal is set to witness a Bollywood extravaganza during the election campaign.