Bollywood actor Govinda on Thursday (March 28) made a return to politics after a hiatus or "exile of 14 years." The actor joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and party leader Milind Deora. He also addressed a press conference and spoke in Marathi and Hindi about his decision to return to politics.
"The clean aura of Shiv Sena inspired me (to join the party). I have always said that PM Modi is the right person. We have seen the same level of progress here (in Maharashtra) in the last 2 years, as we have seen in the country in the last 10 years. We will focus on the beautification of the state and the growth of art and culture," said Govinda after joining the party.
According to reports, Govinda is likely to be fielded from Mumbai North West constituency (Juhu-Goregaon) against Shiv Sena UBT candidate Amol Kirtikar.
Recalling Govinda's first innings into politics - The Rise
Govinda is no novice to electoral politics. In fact, the actor had a blockbuster entry in politics in the year 2004, when he had joined the Congress party and defeated BJP stalwart Ram Naik from Mumbai North constituency.
The actor was also seen at the dramatic Congress session when Sonia Gandhi had refused to accept the proposal to name her as the Prime Minister candidate after Congress' victory in 2004 Lok Sabha Elections.
Govinda's first innings into politics - The Fall
However, by 2008, it was clear that Govinda's interest in politics had faded. The actor, at the time, had reportedly said that he was chosen by the Congress only to beat Ram Naik and quit the party and politics in 2009.
The return to politics
On the day of his return to politics, this time with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, Govinda said he was "returning from 14 years of vanvaas (exile) into Ram Rajya." The 2024 Lok Sabha Elections is likely to decide the fate of his return to politics as well.
