Jaya Bachchan returns to Bangla roots: Could be Mamata's RS-nominee
What's the story
With Rajya Sabha's upcoming biennial elections, 58 MPs will retire in little over a month. Among them will be Bollywood actor Jaya Bachchan, presently an RS member nominated by SP. SP, which lost to BJP in the Assembly elections last year, has numbers to win only one seat. This might have prompted the three-time MP Bachchan to return to her Bangla roots, politically.
Groundwork
Was Bachchan sending feelers to Didi?
Apparently, after the UP drubbing, Bachchan began sending "feelers" to WB CM Mamata Banerjee's TMC. In April'17, a BJP-member declared a Rs. 11L bounty on Mamata; Bachchan slammed BJP saying, "You can protect cows, but women are facing atrocities." Further, she and husband Amitabh are regulars at the Kolkata Film Festival. It seems Jaya's "Bengali roots" and popularity make her an ideal Trinamool candidate.
TMC in RS
What about Trinamool's presence in the RS?
Of Trinamool's four MPs retiring this year, one is Saradha scam accused Kunal Ghosh, who has been suspended indefinitely by the party, and Mukul Roy, who quit the party in October'17 to join BJP. If nominated, this will be Bachchan's fourth RS term. Though she is a front-runner, a formal announcement will probably be made on March 18, when Mamata takes a final decision.
Track-record
Meanwhile, how has Bachchan's RS track-record been?
Notably, Bollywood's Guddi has been regular with her parliamentary commitments. She boasts of 77% attendance. Also, she hasn't been a mute spectator. As per PRS Legislative Research, Bachchan has participated in about 145 debates and 442 questions, though the average is 88 debates and 405 questions. She has spoken on crimes against women and for freedom of expression, among other issues.
Controversies
Separately, Bachchan has had her fair share of RS controversies
Bachchan, known for her frankness, also courted controversy. In 2006, she was disqualified for holding an office-of-profit, as UP Film Development Council's chairperson. In 2015, she argued with Deputy-Chairman PJ Kurien asking him to give more time to a Shiv Sena MP speaking on the agrarian crisis. Last year, she expressed disappointment after MP Sachin Tendulkar's debut speech was interrupted by sloganeering MPs.