Mahua Moitra in a rush... to get back to Parliament from Krishnanagar
Times of India | 12 May 2024
KRISHNANAGAR: Mahua Moitra is in a rush. Rush to start her campaign early. Rush to reach out to voters in every village of the seven assembly constituencies. Rush to finish her speech that mostly revolved around Lakshmir Bhandar and other welfare schemes and rush to get back to the Parliament from where she was ousted unceremoniously last year.
Clad in bright sarees, full-sleeve blouse, pallu draped over her head, Moitra exuded a radiant presence.Her oversized sunglasses shielded her eyes from the sun's glare, while a garland around her neck added a touch of festivity. But it was her beaming smile that truly captivated the hearts of the people, as she rushed along the narrow and muddy roads in the interiors of Krishnanagar riding a hoodless jeep waving and greeting men and women and occasionally reaching out to hold extended hands of people who sent her to the Lok Sabha in 2019.
As the firebrand politician, known for her stirring speeches inside and outside the Parliament in unimpeachable English and unending controversies, finished her final leg of campaign trail last week, there was a sense of confidence, desperation and longing as she vowed to win the seat with a bigger margin and head back to the Parliament from where she was expelled last year over a cash-for-query scam.
TOI found it difficult to catch up with her in one of her campaign trails last week as she travelled in a black jeep undeterred by the broken, muddy and often waterlogged village roads of Golaidori, Durgapur, Baragachhi, Birpur and Haritala, all under Nakashipara assembly constituency, around 40 kilometres from Krishnanagar town.
"Maa Lakshmir bhandar pachhen to? Bidhaba bhata pachen to? (Are you getting funds under Lakshmir Bhandar and widow pension)," she asked people, who thronged to catch a glimpse of the popular figure, whose aura is nothing less than a celebrity in the area. Many had their cellphones drawn out for quick selfies and photographs.
The chants of "Mahua Moitra Zindabad" echoed through the air, as Trinamool workers on motorcycles trailed Moitra's jeep.
For Trinamool Congress, the 49-year-old seeking re-election from Krishnanagar in the fourth phase of the polls on May 13, is a symbol of defiance against BJP's onslaught. That is the reason, even as party workers and seniors complained of missing direct line of communication with her, CM Mamata Banerjee threw her entire weight behind her and announced her name as a candidate much before names of others were disclosed.