Newsmaker: ‘Didi No. 1’ star Rachana Banerjee steps up her run for crucial Bengal seat as Didi pick

Amid a thronging crowd, with some people requesting selfies and others showering flower petals, actress-turned-politician Rachana Banerjee hit the campaign trail on a sizzling Thursday morning, with temperature hovering around 34°C and humidity over 91%.

Waving at the crowd from an open jeep, Rachana was welcomed by a group of young women. The 1990s film star whose popularity soared as she transitioned to the small screen as the anchor of the reality TV show “Didi No. 1” on a Bengali channel, is the latest in a long line of celebrities who have been parachuted into electoral politics by the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The TMC has fielded Rachana from the Hooghly constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. Following a carefully laid-out plan by local TMC leaders and workers, the former Miss Kolkata with an infectious smile began her campaign from the Pakhri Siddheshwari Mata Mandir in the Sikhira Champta gram panchayat under Pandua block, winding her way to the Ilsoba Daspur gram panchayat.

“Now that I have taken up the responsibility, I will give my 100%. Until yesterday, I was shooting for my TV show. But here I am now, campaigning today. It is tough but not impossible,” Rachana told The Indian Express as she kept wiping her sweat with a handkerchief. Amid back-to-back campaigns, rallies and meetings, she finally found some respite in the afternoon, as she took a break for lunch with her party workers.

“I am very happy with the response I am getting. Everyone is welcoming me with open arms,” she said. Draped in a handloom sari, she drew crowds wherever she went seeking votes.

“I couldn’t believe I’m seeing her in my village. I have only seen her on TV. Even yesterday, I saw her on TV. Today, she is here and I’m so excited,” said