Tollywood actor Yash Dasgupta was among nine to 10 actors and actresses who joined the BJP on Wednesday.

Although no A-lister appeared to be among the converts so far, the first such expression of solidarity from Bengal’s film and TV serial fraternity ahead of the state polls prompted the BJP to claim that it had tiptoed into the state’s cultural sphere.

“I haven’t taken this decision in a hurried manner.… The BJP is a party that lays special emphasis on the young generation. I am also young and that’s why I have joined the BJP,” said Yash, who started his career in television and debuted on silver screen with the 2016 film Gangster that also starred Mimi Chakraborty, now a Trinamul MP.

He, however, made it clear that he was respectful towards Mamata Banerjee. “I am joining the BJP after seeking blessings from Didi…. I can’t say bad things about her.”

Other stars in the BJP camp included Papiya Adhikari, Soumili Biswas, Sutapa Sen, Atanu Roy, Ashok Bhadra and Mallika Bandyopadhyay. The party’s Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya, national vice president Mukul Roy and Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta presided over the event. “This is a very important occasion for all of us,” said Dasgupta.

The BJP believes this cultural capital will help them contest the “outsider” tag that Trinamul attacks it with.

“Tollywood actors and actresses will play an important role in our campaign,” said a source, adding the party was trying to rope in A-listers of Tollywood, and talks were on with actor Hiran Chatterjee.

Trinamul was unfazed. “Most of those who took up the BJP flag today hardly have any star value.…Besides, we contest polls on the strength of development work carried out by Mamata Banerjee,” said a Trinamul source.

Tollywood star and Trinamul MLA from Barasat Chiranjeet Chakraborty wrote to party chief Mamata Banerjee, requesting her to allow him to step down. He did not want to be in mainstream politics, he said.

In 2019, about a dozen actors and actresses — including Rishi Kaushik, Parno Mittra, Kanchana Moitra and Rupanjana Mitra — from the Bengali film industry had joined the BJP at the party’s national headquarters in Delhi.