West Bengal Assembly election 2021, Sayantika Banerjee profile: TMC fields Tollywood actor from Bankura seat

Tollywood actor Sayantika Banerjee will be contesting from Bankura constituency for the Trinamool Congress in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls. Banerjee will compete against BJP candidate Niladri Sekhar Dana in the second of the eight-phased Assembly election. “I have been working with Didi for a long time. Recently, I officially joined the party and accepted the challenge which she has given me to contest from Bankura. I have my plan ready to understand the core issues of the area and I believe that the people in Bankura will consider me as their own daughter. I don’t believe in talking too much. I am a workaholic and I will continue to work for the people,” Sayantika said. In 2016, the Bankura seat went to Congress candidate Daripa Shampa. Later the Congress MLA switched over to the ruling party in the state. However, Daripa registered her resentment after TMC denied her a ticket and fielded Banerjee from Bankura constituency instead. Speaking to the media, Daripa questioned the party’s decision, “Mamata Banerjee has been claiming that BJP leaders are outsiders and had launched a slogan Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chay (Bengal wants its own daughter). Sayantika is an outsider here. Even Bankura wants its own daughter and not an outsider.” The Assembly constituency of Bankura is located in the Bankura district of West Bengal. It falls under the Bankura Lok Sabha constituency. The voting will begin on 27 March, with Bengal having the maximum eight phases continuing till 29 April. Including Bankura, 30 Assembly seats will go to polls in the second phase. The results of the election will be declared on 2 May. The state is held by the AITC with an absolute majority, with Mamata Banerjee on her second consecutive term as chief minister. The ruling party is fighting a pitched battle with archrival BJP, while the Congress-led alliance is also a key player in the fray.