Kolkata/Asansol: BJP Union minister Babul Supriyo said on Tuesday that he will personally invite West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to his wedding reception in New Delhi on August 9.
The Bollywood singer and Asansol MP had announced on Monday that he and Jet Airways air-hostess Rachna Sharma are tying the knot. He was asked then what he would like as a gift from Banerjee and Supriyo was quick to say that he would like her to grant district status to his Asansol constituency.
Barely 20 hours later, in a meeting in Jhargram, Mamata reiterated her decision to turn Asansol and Jhargram into districts. When Supriyo was asked if the CM’s announcement sounded like a pre-wedding gift, he smiled and said, “Now that’s called a marriage gift! It’s a long pending demand of the people of Asansol. Going by the signs, one can safely predict this is going to be a very successful marriage full of love and mutual trust between the two stakeholders.”
Banerjee and Supriyo seem to share a special bond despite Bengal’s political divide. He had spiced up Bengal politics last year by sharing jhalmuri, phuchka and a car ride with Banerjee in May last year. He sprung a surprise on Trinamool on New Year’s Day 2016 by going up on stage uninvited and wishing his arch rivals. He also attended Banerjee’s second swearing-in on May 19.
This is Supriyo’s second marriage. Sharmili, his daughter from his first marriage, recently launched her first music album.
Supriyo also recounted how his life has gone through “strange twists in the sky”. “I met yoga guru Baba Ramdevji on a flight and he asked me to contest from Asansol on a BJP ticket. Then I met the new woman in my life on a plane. I love her for her simplicity and my family has accepted my decision to tie the knot again,” he said.
The guest list includes a number of high profile leaders from across the political spectrum, several Union ministers, the BJP brass and Bollywood A-listers.