(Image source from: Can celebrities be good politicians?})
Former Miss India-actress-activist Gul Panag is the latest force to join AAP.
On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party announced that Gul Panag would contest from the lone seat of the Union Territory, Chandigarh. And while her nomination has raised the eyebrows of many, she isn't the first celeb to join the fray.
Musician Bappi Lahiri has been roped in by the BJP to contest from Bengal, while Trinamool Congress has wheedled in actor Moonmoon Sen and famous magician PC Sorcar to contest for them in the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls.
In the past, actors like J Jayalalithaa, Raj Babbar, Jaya Prada, Shatrughna Sinha MGR, Sunil Dutt and Shabana Azmi too made a political plunge. While some managed to survive and evolve in their political roles, stars like Govinda, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra botched up their chances altogether.
This snowballs to the 'big' question — Do celebrities join politics just for glamor and perks? Let's find out.
During an interview, when Congress candidate and actress Nagma was asked how she manages to work for Meerut when she stays in Mumbai, the vexed actress retorted, "It is sad when actors come into the fray and they are singled. Am I the only one who lives somewhere else and has been fielded from somewhere else? I have been working closely in UP for the past two years."
While some of the celebs have previously served the public, even before joining politics, how does one explain roping in a novice like Bappi Lahiri with no past experience what so ever?
BJP spokesperson and fashion designer Shaina NC says, "Anybody from any strata of society is welcome to perform in public life. I would be lying if I say that celebrities don't have an appeal. But the work they do is important. It is important to have a commitment in public life. The electorate is extremely intelligent to figure out who will stay for them."
Former MP and actor Nitish Bhardwaj says, "One thing that makes a celebrity stand out is that they reach out to the public beyond caste lines. The southern stars are more successful because they form their own parties and they are the bosses of their own parties and they decide their own future. The success of a star over a long number of years depends how the party used the acumen of the celebrity. Lets accept that electoral politics is all about winnability. What happens to the MP once he has won is up to him."
Having celebs on board can never be a surefire way to success, unless they are the ones who have worked at the grassroot levels, identifying the problems that plague the electorates and doing something in their power to assuage them. Only when popularity is coupled with service, there is a good chance of actors making a political breakthrough.
Across the years, we have had actors who have truly delivered in their political roles. Now that boils down to the crux of the matter that if some celebrities have turned out to be really good politicians, is it right to questions their foray into politics?
Write back to us your take on the subject.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
