As West Bengal slowly moves toward its next electoral cycle, the familiar overlap between cinema and politics is once again fuelling conversations. This time, the focus is back on Tollywood actor Srabanti Chatterjee, whose name has resurfaced in political chatter linking her to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress.
While there has been no official confirmation of any political move, rumours have been circulating in both political and entertainment circles about the possibility of the actor aligning with the party. The buzz has been particularly strong around Behala — Chatterjee’s home turf and the constituency from which she had once contested.
Srabanti made her political debut ahead of the 2021 assembly elections when she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested from the Behala Paschim constituency. The high-profile contest ended in defeat as she lost to a candidate from the Trinamool Congress.
Her association with the BJP, however, was short-lived. In November 2021, the actor announced that she was “severing all ties” with the party, citing a lack of initiative and sincerity within the organisation. Since then, she has maintained a distance from formal political affiliations, even though her name has periodically surfaced in political speculation.
Soon after leaving the BJP, the actor was seen attending a Trinamool-linked cultural event in South 24 Parganas, sparking rumours of a possible shift toward the ruling party. Although no official move followed at the time, the sighting kept her name in the political rumour mill.
Now, with fresh buzz around her possible association with the Trinamool Congress, another question doing the rounds is where she could contest from if she decides to return to electoral politics. While Behala — her hometown and previous constituency — often comes up in discussions, there has been no clarity yet on which seat she could potentially contest from, and no official announcement has been made regarding the same.
Addressing the speculation during the promotions of her upcoming web series, Srabanti responded to the gossip surrounding her political future.“I am Bengal’s daughter. I was always given a chance from the party and that is why I went to the party’s sabha. I have no negativity about anybody. I was always there for the party as I am Bengal’s daughter and I also visit all Didi’s sabhas and programmes. There was nothing called a joining. Mamata Banerjee is like a mother and whenever and wherever I have gone for the party I have received respect from them and the people,” the actor said.
She also acknowledged the ongoing rumours but clarified that she has not received any formal communication from the party.“I am also hearing the gossips about me joining TMC, but until I get any call from the party I don’t want to pass any comments about the same. If something happens everyone will eventually get to know,” she added.
Meanwhile, Srabanti continues to remain active on the professional front. The actor is set to headline an upcoming detective series on the OTT platform Hoichoi, where she will be seen portraying an elderly sleuth — a role that marks a fresh and unusual turn in her screen career.
For now, talk of a political comeback remains speculative. But in Bengal, where the worlds of Tollywood and politics often intersect, even a hint of possibility is enough to keep the conversation going.
