Rachna Banerjee, born Jhumjhum Banerjee on 2 October 1972, is a prominent Indian actress, entrepreneur, television presenter, and politician. She is renowned for her contributions to Bengali and Odia cinema, as well as her appearances in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films.

Rachna's journey to stardom began when she was crowned Miss Kolkata in 1991, marking the start of a successful career. Her accolades include winning five beauty contests in India, including the prestigious Miss Beautiful Smile title at the Miss India contest.

In addition to her acting prowess, Rachna hosts the popular Bengali non-fiction TV show, Didi No. 1, which airs on Zee Bangla on weekdays. However, her life took a dramatic turn on 5 April 2013 when a fire broke out in the studio of Didi No. 1 in Tollygunge. The incident led to Rachna fainting due to a panic attack and being rushed to Aurobindo Seva Sadan, a city hospital.

Rachna's acting career has seen her share screen space with Tollywood's top stars such as Natasimha Balakrishna and Mega Star Chiranjeevi in films like Bavagaru Bagunnara, Maa Vidakulu, Kanya Daanam, and Abhishekam, among others.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rachna contested on a TMC ticket and secured victory in the Hooghly seat, defeating her rival, BJP's Locket Chatterjee, by a substantial margin of over 60,000 votes. This victory was particularly significant as she reclaimed the seat that the BJP had won from the TMC in 2019 by a margin of over 73,000 votes.

The Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency, where Rachna emerged victorious, witnessed a total of twelve candidates contesting in the 2024 elections. This seat had seen nine candidates in the 2019 and 2014 elections, and nine candidates in the 2009 polls.

Rachna's victory in the 2024 elections reflects her growing influence and popularity among voters. Her success story is a testament to her dedication and commitment to serving the people, making her a formidable celebrity candidate in the political arena.