The Hindu : I have yet to select my seat, says Dharmendra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 26, 2004

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Other States - Rajasthan

I have yet to select my seat, says Dharmendra

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MARCH 25. The Bollywood star of yesteryears, Dharmendra, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, today tried to set at rest speculation that he might contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Jat-dominated Bikaner constituency in Rajasthan. "I have not yet selected any place for the electoral battle. No final decision has been taken,'' he said.

Addressing a crowded press conference here in the presence of senior leaders of the BJP State unit, he said if the party directed him to enter the fray, he would fight "wherever the party wants''. He denied that his presence in the Rajasthan capital on the very next day of joining the BJP was an indication of his candidature in the State. However, Dharmendra affirmed that he would not contest the polls against the senior Congress leader, Balram Jakhar -- contesting from Churu -- as the latter had "treated me like his brother''. He said he would refrain from seeking votes for BJP in the name of religion and caste, but when asked specifically about Jats, he retorted: "Jats are also human beings.''

The former Bollywood hero made light of the attention being paid to his contesting the polls and said he had come to Rajasthan "not to win elections but to convey my message that all political parties should join hands to facilitate the nation's march to progress.'' He praised the "statesmanship'' shown by the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in bringing about improvement in the India-Pakistan relations and said the leadership qualities of Mr. Vajpayee had motivated him to join the BJP. "Ek Arse ke baad desh ko aisa neta mila hai,'' (the country has got such a leader after a long period) he said.

Asked about his priorities after entering politics, Dharmendra said he stood for multi-dimensional development of the nation. "If I get the opportunity to represent an area, I will make sweeping transformation and evolve it as a model for others,'' he asserted.

The actor -- who is the latest to join the bandwagon of celebrities coming to the fold of the two major political parties -- recited Urdu couplets to describe his mental state driving him to do something for the country and flexed his muscles with the remark, "Abhi to main jawan hoon'' (I am still young), when asked about his age. Dharmendra was flanked by the BJP State unit's president, Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi, vice-president, Chandraraj Singhvi, and the senior party leader, S.N. Gupta, on the occasion. Later, Mr. Chaturvedi told reporters that the decision on fielding Dharmendra in the elections would be taken by the BJP's central election committee.

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