Will Shirur MP Amol Kolhe Keep His Pre-Election Promise To Quit Acting?

Shirur MP Amol Kolhe emerged victorious on Tuesday with a margin of 1,40,951 votes, securing his second consecutive victory in the constituency. Up against Ajit Pawar faction leader Shivajirao Adhalrao, Kolhe secured 6,98,692 votes against the former's 5,57,741.

In 2019 too, Kolhe and Adhalrao were up against each other, but at that time, Kolhe was with the undivided NCP while Adhalrao was with undivided Shiv Sena. Kolhe had defeated Adhalrao by 58,483 votes. Before that, Adhalrao had held the Shirur Lok Sabha seat for three consecutive terms.

Kolhe's victory is significant as he was accused of concentrating on his acting career rather than his duties as an MP. For the uninitiated, Kolhe is a popular Marathi actor known for portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in movies and television serials. Just three days before the polling on May 13, Kolhe had vowed to quit acting for the next five years if re-elected. This promise come after the ruling alliance raised the issue of Kolhe's alleged absence from his constituency due to acting assignments. In response, the actor-politician had asserted his active role as an MP, highlighting his efforts in addressing issues such as farmers' distress, the Centre's policies regarding the ban on onion export, inadequate pricing for agricultural produce, rising unemployment, and inflation in Parliament. After the victory, Kolhe stated, "My constituency will remain my priority."

Additionally, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had vowed to defeat Kolhe. Pawar held a grudge against Kolhe because he refused to go with him when he joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. Kolhe preferred to remain with Sharad Pawar. Meanwhile, when asked about this, he said, "The self-respecting voters of Shirur have given a befitting reply."