Will Krishnanagar's 'Queen' Amrita Ray Dethrone TMC's Mahua Moitra in BJP's Prestige Fight?

2024 Lok Sabha Elections: In a surprise move, BJP has named Amrita Ray from erstwhile royal family in Krishnanagar in a bid to dethrone expelled Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has chosen to bestow her trust upon Moitra even as cash-for-query row has left party red-faced. Speculations were rife as 'Rajmata' visited two Kali temples, built by Raja Krishnachandra Ray back in 18th century, last week. What followed was hectic parleys at royal family with Bengal Legislative Assembly's Leer of Opposition Suvendu hikari visiting ahe of BJP declaring fifth list, according to local reports. Soon after, she joined BJP in presence of Suvendu.

Krishnanagar has turned into a prestige battle for BJP.  Moitra became embroiled in cash-for-query row when BJP MP Giriraj Singh and her estranged partner Nishikant Dubey alleged that she h given her Parliament login credentials to businessman Darshan Hiranandani, violating Parliamentary ethics. Soon after, Moitra was expelled from Lower House and is currently under CBI's scanner. With Rajmata pitted against her, Moitra is certainly not going to get a walkover like last time with tables turned against her this time around.

An interior designer by profession, 'Rajmata', dressing reporters last week, said that although she doesn't understand anything about politics, she wants to uplift people of Bengal. Her family was not only known for providing brave resistance against Mughal rule in 18th century but was also involved in bringing about an artistic revolution in region. Even though name of former vocate-General of Bengal Soumendra Nath Mookherjee, ex-Krishnanagar MP and Union Minister Satyabrata Mookherjee's son, was doing rounds, Central Leership chose to field ‘Rajmata’ to everybody's surprise.