Deepak Singh: Politics' Amitabh

BACKSTAGE

Kuldeep Singh Bishnoi, the Congress MP from Bhiwani in Haryana, is a great movie buff. Of all the Hollywood and Bollywood actors, Amitabh Bachchan remains his all-time favourite. The 38-year-old wouldn't admit it, but yesterday's angry young man appears to have influenced the doting fan in real life. Or so it seems from the stunts being attempted of late by the parliamentarian.

His protest against the Haryana government over the proposed special economic zone to be developed by Reliance Industries, has made people sit up and take note. Kuldeep is certainly turning out to be more ambitious than the other progenies from the famous "Lal families" of Haryana "" Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal.

In barely a decade-long political career, this son of Bhajan Lal has shown ample promise "" he won a difficult Assembly bye-election in 1998 when

Bansi Lal was the chief minister, and entered Parliament in 2004 by defeating Ajay Singh Chautala, the grandson of late Devi Lal.

Detractors of the soft-spoken MP point to his flamboyance "" a fleet of cars, passion for driving and new clothes, frequent trips to Europe and the US, and lively evenings with the glitterati and the who's who at the whackiest of places.

His critics also get upset with his lunches with Rahul Gandhi and other babalog of the

Congress. The two are often seen sitting in the same row in the Lok Sabha, engaged in discussions.

Bishnoi's flamboyance is matched by his spirituality. He prays for around 40 minutes in the morning and for 10 minutes before going to sleep at night. He often goes on pilgrimages, the last one to Hardwar, only last week, shortly after the Congress issued him a show cause notice for publicly criticising the government in Haryana. Back from Hardwar, on Saturday, the MP was writing a hard-hitting reply to the notice, even as a long queue of people from Haryana awaited for him outside his Golf Links residence in Delhi.

"There is nothing flamboyant about my lifestyle. I am a serious politician ... It [the SEZ controversy] proves my credibility and guts. I am ready to fight for people and take on anybody even at this young age. I am not against anybody. I am for the aam admi for whom our leader [Sonia Gandhi] wants us to work," Bishnoi told Business Standard.

Rivals, however, attribute a difficult motive to his taking on the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government. His father Bhajan Lal, it is alleged, cannot still reconcile himself with his status as Haryana PCC chief, while political greenhorns rule the roost.

Besides, with one son, Chander Mohan, becoming the Deputy CM of Haryana, the father has to position his other son, Kuldeep, for induction in the Union Council of Ministers, if and when the next reshuffle takes place. The son, however, denies it vehemently.