In her media war,Mamata picks 3 journalists for Rajya Sabha

Sambad Protidin is the third largest circulated Bengali newspaper,with an extensive reach in the rural areas. Ghosh has been an active campaigner for Banerjee and her party through his columns and through Trinamool-sponsored programmes.

Ghosh is not the first journalist from the newspaper to get a TMC Rajya Sabha ticket. The paper’s owner Srinjoy Bose is already a member — he was nominated in November 2011 when the term of his father Swapan Sadhan Bose,a Kolkata businessman,ended.

Banerjee’s dependence on Protidin has increased as the two top Bengali Newspapers,Ananda Bazar Patrika and Bartaman Patrika have started criticising her.

Haque’s newspaper is the largest-circulated Urdu daily from Kolkata. With a circulation of about 70,000,Akbar-e-Mushrique claims to be neutral. When contacted,his son Najimul Haque said: “Our paper has always supported parivartan. Me and my family are extremely happy and grateful to Didi for this selection. My father has been a long-time fan of Didi and this nomination comes with a strong responsibility.”

The Urdu daily is patronised and subscribed by a large section of educated Muslims—a section Banerjee has been trying hard to woo.

Gupta’s Sanmarg is the largest-selling Hindi daily here and has been distinctly pro-Banerjee.

Banerjee,many believe,is sending a signal to the larger media groups that she thinks have gone against her. In meeting after meeting,she has been castigating the “big corporate media” and the “conspiracy” to malign her on issues from the Park Street rape to farmer suicides. In her trademark whimsical style,Banejrjee,about a fortnight back met only thee TV channels of her choice. While answering their queries,she charged: “The CPM has three channels in their command —24 Ghanta,Aakash Bangla and Star Ananda.” While the first two are genuinely pro-Left,the third one was her favourite channel in her campaign days.