Actor Jaaved Jaaferi is confident of defeating BJP president Rajnath Singh

The 50-year-old political rookie, who is the latest to join the long list of Bollywood actors contesting the Lok Sabha elections this year, says he is ready to strike big and take on the heavyweight. He will contest from Lucknow on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket.

Actor Jaaved Jaaferi, who is the latest to join the long list of Bollywood actors who are contesting the Lok Sabha elections this year, says he is ready to strike big.

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The 50-year-old political rookie, who will contest from Lucknow on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket and fight Rajnath Singh, the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), says that he’s ready to take on the heavyweight.

"I have complete belief in myself, and I will win the election. I want to be the strength of this party and help them achieve what they have set out to achieve," he says.

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A ­resident of Mumbai, Jaaved says that he’s ­fighting from Lucknow because he understands the place’s culture and language.

"A lot has been said about my place of origin. I am not going to Kerala or Tamil Nadu to contest elections. I am contesting from a city whose culture and language I understand well," he reasons. So what prompted him to join politics? "I have taken care of my wife and kids all these years. Now I think it’s my turn to do something for the country. And I believe that in order to change the system, you have to be in the system," he says.