‘Bihari Babu’ Shatrughan Sinha faces ‘outsider’ tag at Asansol in Bengal

Campaign for Lok Sabha bypoll ended on Sunday; contest has emerged as prestige fight for Trinamool and BJP

“ Bahirgata Aase, Bharigata Jae Bangla Nijer Meye kei Chae (Outsiders come and outsiders go, Bengal wants its own daughter)“, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee raised the slogan with his party candidate and actor Shatrughan Sinha by his side on Saturday. The campaign for the Asansol Lok Sabha bypoll ended on Sunday and the issue of “insider vs outsider” that began with the announcement of the candidates for the bypoll has dominated the poll campaign throughout.

What Mr. Banerjee was trying to emphasise through the slogan at Asansol is that “the BJP is a party of the outsiders” and the voters should have faith in party chairperson Mamata Banerjee.  However, it is Trianamool candidate at Asansol Mr. Sinha who is having to fend the “outsider” question.

 The actor-turned-politician is often heard saying at political gatherings that he is not only “Bihari Babu” but also a “Bengali Babu”. At times, the 76-year old is seen emphasising on the Bengali pronouncement of his name “Shatrughn” not “Shatrughan” as pronounced in Hindi.  “If I am outsider at Asansol then what is Narendra Modi at Varanasi,” Mr. Sinha was often heard saying throughout the campaign.

 His opponent and BJP nominee Agnimitra Paul has often described herself “a daughter of West Bengal,” and said, “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taught us that anyone from outside West Bengal is an outsider”.  Ms. Paul, a fashion designer-turned-politician, is an MLA from the Asansol Dakshin constituency that falls under the Lok Sabha seat.

The constituency lined with coal mines, steel plants and a number of sick and closed industries has a large “non-Bengali” population, almost 45% of the electorate, and that is why Ms. Banerjee took the risk of fielding yesteryears superstar Mr. Sinha. who is popular among the ‘non-Bengali” population. The star power of the actor is evident where he is seen campaigning in open vehicles during long road shows drawing large crowds.

Ever since the inception of the party in 1998, the Trinamool Congress has never won Lok Sabha polls from Asansol, located in south-western part of the State bordering Jharkhand. This is the reason why the electoral contest has emerged as a prestige fight for the Trinamool and the BJP.