Actor Srabanti Chatterjee attends TMC prog, fortnight after quitting BJP

Kolkata, Nov 28: Two weeks after quitting the BJP, as part of which she unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls from Behala West, actor-turned-politician Srabanti Chatterjee on Monday attended a TMC function in South 24 Parganas district and heaped praise on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Basanti MLA Shyamal Mondal, who was present at the felicitation programme, told reporters later that Chatterjee was invited to the function "as a celebrity". Mondal also said that the actor has pledged her support to the development initiatives of the TMC supremo.

Chatterjee, during the programme, stated, "We are all inspired by the development work of Bengal’s daughter (Mamata Banerjee). We are motivated by her leadership skills." She also said that she would "continue to work for people in Bengal under Didi's rule".

Reacting to the development, BJP state vice-president Jaiprakash Majumdar said "people like her join a party for benefits", and desert it when they realise their interest will not be served. She can "only offer lip service" and work for people in reality, he claimed. "We are happy to get rid of such opportunists," Majumder said.

Chatterjee had announced her decision to resign from the BJP on November 11, citing "lack of initiative and sincerity on the part of the saffron party to further the cause of West Bengal", as a factor that prompted her to take the decision.

The 34-year-old actor had been maintaining distance from the BJP after it failed to unseat the Mamata Banerjee-led party from power in the state, despite a high-pitched campaign. West Bengal industry minister and Srabanti's rival in the assembly polls, Partha Chatterjee, said recently that if she made an appeal for induction in the TMC, it will be considered.