Actor-turned-politician Saayoni Ghosh is raring to go following her Lok Sabha election victory in Jadavpur against BJP’s Dr Anirban Ganguly and CPM’s Srijan Bhattacharyya. Ghosh polled 7,17,899 votes and won by a massive margin of 2,58,201 votes. The TMC leader has now set her sights on raising issues dear to West Bengal in the Lok Sabha, including the alleged denial of MNREGA funds, and hopes to emulate senior party colleagues Mahua Moitra and Abhishek Banerjee in Parliament.
Edited excerpts:
How do you feel after winning the election?
You met me in Bhangar and I told you that we are doing the election strategically. We wanted to ensure peaceful election so that people can come out and vote. People have given the mandate. As you can see, this is our landslide victory. People of Bengal have given the answer.
How did the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme help?
The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme was very important. It played a major role. The assistance provided by Mamata Banerjee helped 2.12 crore women. This is a big thing. Women stood by us because Mamata Banerjee stood by them.
What are the issues you will raise in Parliament?
We have been continually speaking about the deprivation that Bengal has been facing for long. They are not giving MNREGA or Awas Yojana (housing scheme) money to the state. We are going to raise that in Parliament. Now we have 29 MPs and we are in INDIA bloc. We will raise our voice for this, so will the other deprived states.
TMC has 38% women MPs after an election where Sandeshkhali was an issue. How do you see this?
This was a totally fake thing which was blown out of proportion. This was wrong. Women of Basirhat have proved that this was a conspiracy. Haji Nurul Islam won by more than 4 lakh votes. Mamata Banerjee also showed that we don’t require reservation to give women tickets. She gave the tickets to women candidates and now we have 38% women. It’s not a surprise for us.
Why do you think the BJP did not get numbers?
They don’t understand Bengal. They are fighting the ‘Sherni of Bengal’. How did they think they will do well?
Do you think Mamata Banerjee can be PM?
Yes, why not? She is simple yet strong. I am not saying so just because I am from her party. The entire nation knows that ‘Bengal’s Sherni’ is simple yet so strong. She walked 12-km to meet people and then you have Modi who just moved his hand.
Whom will you follow in Parliament?
I will follow and learn from Mahua Moitra didi obviously. She has been in Parliament for so long. Abhishek Banerjee is also a very good speaker. I will follow him, Mahua di, Sudip da. We are going to roar in Parliament.
