Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the BJP is rooting for Bollywood actor Sunny Deol’s victory from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab.
“What struck me about @iamsunnydeol is his humility and deep passion for a better India. Happy to have met him today. We are all rooting for his victory in Gurdaspur!” Modi tweeted after a meeting with Deol.
“We both agree: Hindustan Jindabad tha, hai, aur rahega,” Modi added, quoting the actor’s famous dialogue from the movie ‘Gadar-Ek Prem Katha’.
Sunny Deol joined the BJP on April 23 and was nominated as the party’s candidate from Gurdaspur. But his nomination had caused much heartburn to Kavita Khanna, wife of late Union minister and actor Vinod Khanna. On Saturday she said she “felt abandoned and rejected” after being denied a ticket at the last moment. Vinod Khanna was an MP from Gurdaspur for four terms. Much to the BJP’s relief, Kavita Khanna clarified that she will not contest the polls as an Independent candidate.
Sunny Deol is best known for the 1997 blockbuster Border, a war movie based on the battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Deol essayed the role of an army Major commanding a small infantry unit of 120 men who repulse the charge of Pakistani armour against heavy odds.
{{/usCountry}}Sunny Deol is best known for the 1997 blockbuster Border, a war movie based on the battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Deol essayed the role of an army Major commanding a small infantry unit of 120 men who repulse the charge of Pakistani armour against heavy odds.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who is a former soldier himself, has dismissed Sunny Deol as a “filmy fauji” with no ground support in the constituency. He said Sunil Jakhar, the Congress candidate for the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, faces no threat from Deol.
Sunny Deol’s father Dharmendra represented the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat from 2004 t o 2009.