Indian political parties have been poaching celebrities, hoping to employ their glamour and popularity to grab votes, for decades. Some outfits, for instance the Communist Party of India and other Left parties, have more or less steered clear of inducting stars into their fold, preferring to have themselves represented by those nurtured in politics, such as student activists. But most national and regional parties, from the Bharatiya Jan­ata Party to the Trinam­ool Congress, rely hea­­vily on famous people to woo voters.