The Trinamool Congress released its candidate list for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 and proudly claimed that over 40.5% candidates are women. However, of the seventeen women in the mix, four were actors – Moon Moon Sen and Satabdi Roy, who have been around in politics for some time, and political debutants Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan.
Actor-turned-MP Dev Adhikari has also been given a ticket for a second time.
The announcement has led to a huge debate on social media on whether it is right for such actors, with no proven political record, to be given a ticket. It has also resulted in the two actors – Nusrat and Mimi – being trolled massively.
Many have also pointed out, however, that there has been a huge precedent in Indian politics of actors being given party tickets. Many actors have even gone on to become political stalwarts. Then, why is this a problem?
We, at The Quint, debate.
Relatability Vs Moral Responsibility
What is the rationale behind giving tickets to movie stars?
Well, for one, movie stars have a lot of relatability especially in not-so-urban and rural areas.
Take Moon Moon Sen for example: In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she defeated nine-time CPI(M) MP Basudeb Acharia from his seat in West Bengal’s Bankura. Clearly then, the star factor converts to votes.
And the TMC is banking on it this time too when Moon Moon goes up against Babul Supriyo in Asansol.
But, is winning votes really all there is to it?
Shouldn’t there be a moral responsibility on the part of political parties to choose candidates who are adept and inclined towards politics?
Hypothetically speaking, if someone like a Soumitra Chatterjee or an Aparna Sen were offered tickets (from any party) the narrative would have been completely different. That’s because their work and the way they have lived their years as actors have been largely political. Can we really say that about Nusrat Jahan or Mimi Chakraborty or even Dev?
Sexist Trolling
It is also a fact, though, that the most common reaction to these actresses being named as candidates, on social media, is sexist trolling.
Ever since the list was announced, WhatsApp forwards – with distasteful comments on the actors’ dress choices and their appearance in films – began doing the rounds.
Twitter and Facebook, too, were filled with people asking how ‘such people’ can be made candidates in an election.
Funnily, Dev, the only male actor in the mix, found no mention in most of these posts.
The opposition to Mimi and Nusrat being nominated was, therefore, mostly patriarchal. Not political.
‘Eligible Candidates’ Vs ‘Vote-Pullers’
A lot of people argue that if women representation was the cause, better candidates could have been fielded.
Like, why not an Arundhati Bhattacharya or an Usha Ganguli?
Well, it can be argued that they wouldn’t pull as many votes as a massy, commercial film star. Most of the aam junta would be unaware of their names.
Also important to keep in mind, is that it doesn’t take long for an apparent misfit in politics to become a veteran.
Remember, Babul Supriyo when he joined politics?
Now he’s one of the most prominent faces of the BJP in Bengal!
Tell us what you think about Mamata Banerjee giving tickets to actors in the comments below.
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