- Monday, February 24, 2025
The actor, Arun Govil, who contested the election from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, left for the city of Mumbai a day after the April 26 polling, saying he was asked by the party to carry out election duties there.
By: Shubham Ghosh
ARUN GOVIL, the actor-turned-politician who is known for portraying the role of Lord Ram in ‘Ramayan’, a hugely popular television series that was aired on India’s national broadcaster Doordarshan in the 1980s and later, has made the headlines again, this time for the wrong reasons.
The 66-year-old, who contested the ongoing national elections in India from Meerut in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, his place of birth, went back to Mumbai, where he lives, after spending a month in the constituency that went to polls in the second phase held on April 26. Govil, who is contesting on the ticket of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reportedly left Meerut on April 27.
The opposition Indian National Congress criticised Govil calling him an example of “parachute politician” — a term used for election candidates who do not live in the area they are aiming to represent in the legislature and are accused of forgetting the voters once they win.
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Ajay Rai, the chief of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh who will take on prime minister Narendra Modi from the high-profile Varanasi constituency of the state on June 1, wrote in a post in Hindi on X, “It is learnt that Arun Govil, who was the BJP candidate from Meerut, left for Mumbai the very next day after the elections were over. Perhaps he had difficulty staying among the public.”
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Govil, however, gave a clarification, saying he was heading to Mumbai as his party instructed him to do so.
“My respected voters, sisters, brothers and workers of Meerut, Hello. On Holi, on 24 March, the Bharatiya Janata Party announced my name and on their instructions, I reached among you on 26 March. I stayed with you for one month and campaigned for the election with your support. The election was completed. I am very grateful to you for your love, support and respect. Now, on the instructions of the party, I am in Mumbai to fulfill my responsibilities here,” he wrote on X.
According to Govil, the BJP was planning to send him to other areas for election campaigning and underscored that he will be back among the people of Meerut once the work is done.
Mumbai and its adjoining areas will go to polls on May 20.
However, the critics were not convinced and also accused Govil of having little understanding about the issues of Meerut.
Rai alleged that Govil had no answer when a journalist asked him about the issues of Meerut during the election campaign there and said that they would look into the issues once the elections get over. The Congress leader said it was a common tactic for most of the BJP leaders who he accused of having zero concern for common people.
“They only believe in parachute politics,” he said.
It was reported that Govil told an Indian media outlet that he was “not exactly aware” about the issues prevalent in Meerut. He generalised saying roads, electricity, water, education, employment and medical are the issues but reportedly failed to cite any specific issue.
Govil also refused to acknowledge that the BJP was trying to cash in on his celebrity status.
The BJP has been winning Meerut since 2009 and Rajendra Agarwal, the three-time MP from the constituency, was removed to accommodate Govil in this election.
Govil is challenged in Meerut in this election by Sunita Verma of the Samajwadi Party, which has made an alliance with the Congress. Devvrat Kumar Tyagi of the Bahujan Samaj Party is another candidate.
The BJP and its National Democratic Alliance had swept Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha or Lower House of the parliament, in the 2014 and 2019 national elections.
The polling in Meerut saw nearly 59 per cent voter turnout, as per the Voter Turnout App of the Election Commission of India.
