 "Govinda joins shiv sena,Eknath Shinde")
Less than a month before the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Bollywood actor Govinda returned to politics by joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Maharashtra on Thursday.
This marks Govinda's re-entry into the political landscape after nearly two decades, when the actor won the 2004 poll battle from the Mumbai North constituency on a Congress ticket before stepping away from politics in 2008.
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#WATCH | Veteran Bollywood actor Govinda joins Shiv Sena in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde pic.twitter.com/vYu2qYDrlO
— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2024
A timeline of his actor-politician journey:
1) Govinda, who has appeared in over 160 Hindi films, made his Bollywood debut with Shibhu Mitra's 1986 film Ilzaam. The actor featured alongside Shashi Kapoor and Shatrughan Sinha in that movie, and thereafter embarked upon a decades-long journey in the industry.
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2) The 60-year-old star was born to actor-singer parents Arun Ahuja and Nirmala Ahuja. Arun Ahuja was active in Hindi cinema in the 1940s and early 1950s. In 1941, he married Nirmala, who herself was a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana.
3) Govinda is known for his lead roles in several commercial hits, including Raja Babu and Coolie No. 1, among others, resulting in his astronomical rise to fame and turning him into a household name in India.
4) The superstar turned to the field of politics in 2004, when he successfully contested the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket. He defeated BJP stalwart Ram Naik in the seat, considered the party's then "emerging bastion."
5) In 2008, Govinda made a surprise announcement, saying he wanted to quit politics "like Amitabh Bachchan." Bachchan, who took a break from acting to join politics in 1984, had quit as a Congress Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad constituency three years later. On his exit, Bachchan said he realised that politics was not meant for him.
6) Govinda, on his re-entry, remarked that he never felt he would again come back to the same field. "I am back (in politics) after a 14-year-long 'vanvas' (exile)," he said. "Mumbai looks more beautiful and developed since Shinde has become CM," the veteran actor said.
CM Shinde welcomed the actor into his party. "Govinda stands for progress. He is impressed with Modi's development policies. He wants to do something for the welfare and progress of the film industry. I am sure he will be the link between the government and the film industry," he said.
However, putting an end to the speculations that Govinda might contest the Lok Sabha polls, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat said the actor has declared otherwise.
Other than Govinda, Kangana Ranaut and Ramayan actor Arun Govil are other popular celebrities who have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party or its National Democratic Alliance partners as the bloc eyes a third term in the upcoming elections.
