People voted for Mamata Banerjee and not me, says winning candidate Nayna

Wife of the sitting TMC MP from Kolkata (North), Sudip Bandopadhyay, Nayna was a Tollywood actor before she became a full-time politician. Her notable works include Amar Tumi, Matribhumi, Desh and Bandhu. “Of the films I have done Desh is one of my personal favourites,” she said. She had also acted in theatre and jatras. This November, her new film with director Sanjay Guha would be launched and she is confident she would be able to juggle both. “There are 365 days in a year. While I will shoot for 65 days, I will work for people for 300 days,” she said but added that she had given up stage for good because it involved a lot of hardwork compared to films.

She said that after tying the knot with Sudip in 1991, she started frequenting to Delhi with him and on one such trip, she met Mamata Banerjee who she said, only talked about the welfare of people. “That touched my heart and I thought I should enter politics,” she added. For the bypolls, she said she never asked her husband to campaign for her and that all her campaigns that Sudip attended had been decided by the party.

She said her outspoken attitude needed to be tamed. “I like to call a spade a spade but that might not be good all the time,” the 46-year-old said. Asked if she would go against the party if her principles clashed with that of the party’s, she said, “That will never happen. I will abide by the instructions of the party supremo as an obedient student.”

The bye-election at this 162 Chowringhee constituency had to be conducted after former TMC MLA of the constituency Sikha Mitra, had defected to Congress. She is the wife of Somen Mitra, who too, had shifted from TMC to Congress.