To woo voters, parties continue to rely on celebrities

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Bathinda, March 16

With another Punjabi actor Karamjit Anmol entering political arena, it has become clear that parties continue to rely on celebrities to woo voters. AAP has fielded Anmol from the Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency.

While some celebrities have made it big in politics, some have a poor track record.

Analysts said popular figures attract the electorate and political parties want to influence their voting behaviour.

In the 2022 Assembly poll, singers Anmol Gagan Maan and Balkar Sidhu won on AAP ticket from Kharar and Rampura Phul segments, while slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala lost from Mansa on the Congress ticket.

In the 2019 General Election, Sunny Deol won from Gurdaspur and Mohammad Sadiq got victorious from Faridkot. In 2009, Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans contested on SAD ticket and lost from Jalandhar, however in 2019, he won on the BJP ticket from New Delhi.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, a noted comedian, had first contested the 2012 Assembly poll from Lehragaga seat on the PPP ticket unsuccessfully. Later, he won with a record margin from Sangrur constituency on AAP ticket in 2014 and 2019. In 2022, Mann won from Dhuri Assembly segment to become the CM.

Similarly, actor Vinod Khanna contested as the BJP candidate and remained Gurdaspur MP for four terms. Punjabi singer Satwinder Bitti also tried her luck in politics on the Congress ticket but she lost from Sahnewal in the 2017 Assembly poll.

Another comedian Gurpreet Ghuggi unsuccessfully contested Assembly poll from Batala segment on AAP ticket in 2017.

Folk singer Kuldeep Manak had also contested as an Independent candidate from Bathinda in the 1996 Lok Sabha poll, but lost.